Heart
by LavenderSkies
Summary: Law had been given a second chance, thanks to Corazon, but that didn't mean life automatically became easy or that he would always make the right decisions. Before he could think revenge, he must first think survival. With a little faith and support from the right people along the way, he might just make it through. A short story about the origins of the Heart Pirates.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro.

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

(Law – Age 13)

The sounds of cannonballs had long since stopped shaking Minion Island. Aside from the wind howling through the trees, everything was quiet. He supposed it meant the Marines had chased the Donquixote Pirates off to the distance, and Doflamingo was now far away.

He was safe for the time being.

Realizing this, Law immediately turned around, silently berating himself as he retraced his footsteps in the snow with haste. What was he thinking?! He couldn't just leave Corazon behind. The least he could do was give the man a proper burial. With that in mind, the boy hurried back to his fallen savior.

He was too late, however, as another group of Marines had already arrived to investigate the scene. All he could do was watch them carry Corazon's body away as he remained hidden behind snow-covered trees.

 _Cora-san…_ Law gritted his teeth, holding back his tears. He couldn't even begin to formulate how much this person had done for him. When Law had lost his family, his friends, and his home the way that he did, he had lost all faith in the world. When he lost his faith in the world, his humanity went with it, putting him on a destructive path. He had been so ready to annihilate as many as he could before he would eventually succumb to the Amber Lead Syndrome, but Corazon turned all that around.

The younger Donquixote brother sacrificed himself so that Law could live. So, Law decided that he needed to live in order to honor Corazon. And one day, he would fulfill Corazon's ambitions and take down Doflamingo.

No longer limited by the disease, he now had a new purpose in life.

* * *

If Law were to survive, he would have to get off Minion Island. This place was a ghost town. Nobody lived here. Nobody would come here. He even overheard the Marines say that all the pirates on the island were dead, wiped out by Doflamingo. If he stayed, he'd be stranded. That meant his one and only ticket off the island was the Marine ship. So, while the Marines were still busy with investigation and clean up, Law snuck onboard and stowed away in the cargo area.

The journey was long, and he lost track of how many days he'd spent huddling between the crates. During this time, he had nothing to do but think about his situation. Sure, he might have escaped this time, but he knew Doflamingo would look for him. He ate the Ope Ope no Mi after all, and Doflamingo wanted his powers. He'd need to figure out how to use his powers quickly if he wanted to gain whatever advantage he could and survive.

He stared thoughtfully at his hands. Corazon had said the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi went hand in hand with medical procedures, and it was the Devil Fruit wanted by many doctors. That being the case, Law figured he better start picking up medical studies again. Before his life went to hell, he was already an advanced student at Flevance's best medical school. On top of that, he had been learning things from his parents that wouldn't be covered in the school curriculum for a good couple of years. Nevertheless, he had put it down for so long…his mindset going from wanting to save people to wanting to destroy everything in sight…he couldn't help but wonder if he could still do it. Was he still capable of living and functioning like a normal human being?

His stomach grumbled, prompting him to take another bite out of the bread he had stolen from the kitchen when he first got on the ship. By now, the bread was already molding, but it was the only sustenance he had. He didn't want to risk venturing out there now that everyone was onboard and not otherwise preoccupied. So, he'd just have to make do with what he had.

An hour later, the boy found himself at the far back of the cargo hold, puking like there was no tomorrow. When his stomach finally calmed down, he wiped the back of his sleeve across his lips as he sat down, feeling completely drained. "…I'm never eating bread again…"

An unknown amount of time later, the ship finally arrived at its next port. While the Marines were tending to maintenance and resupply work, Law quietly slipped away.

* * *

(One year later. Law – Age 14)

He was looking through the titles of all the books on the shelf, trying to decide which one to read when he heard a series of soft knocks from behind. Law turned to find the doctor standing in the doorway of the small break room he was currently in.

The man was short with white hair and thick glasses. He was old and would probably retire in a couple of years. "Well, I'm heading out for the night," he said as he put on his thick winter coat. "Remember to lock up before you leave."

"Alright," the teen simply said before returning his attention to the books.

The old man heaved a small sigh. "A boy your age shouldn't be spending this much time studying. You should go spend time with friends. Enjoy life a little." The kid worked too hard. It was no wonder why he was so knowledgeable. Still, it just didn't seem right to the seasoned physician.

"I have better things to do," Law replied, pulling a book on pharmacology from the shelf.

The doctor shook his head. There was just no persuading the boy. This was a battle he'd been losing on a nightly basis. He supposed he should just consider himself lucky to have such a dedicated assistant. And to think he had been skeptical of Law's young age when the boy first came to ask to be an apprentice. "Well, don't stay too late. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Doctor," Law said distractedly, already immersed in his reading, not even noticing when the doctor made his exit.

The truth of the matter was, studying at an institution just wasn't feasible for Law. First off, he didn't have the money to pay for it. More importantly, he was trying to keep a low profile. Not to mention, he had no interest in socializing with other students, having become more reclusive in nature after everything that had happened. So, working at a doctor's office was an ideal solution. It allowed him some hands on experience and gained him access to books and medical journals which he would study on his own after hours.

When he'd had his fill of reading for the night, eating a light dinner while he was at it, Law locked up the clinic and stepped into the quiet snow-covered streets of the small town. It was cold, and he could see his breath. He shoved his hands into his coat's pockets, missing the warmth and comfort of his hat. He'd stopped wearing it since he got off Minion Island. It was too noticeable and might make those who knew him take a second look...something he'd very much like to avoid.

It was when he turned the street corner that he noticed the shadow moving behind him. He was being followed. The first time it happened, it nearly gave him a heart attack, fearing the worst. But it had been going on for a couple of days now, and he knew exactly who it was. He stopped in his tracks, eyebrows twitching with annoyance.

The shadow gasped. Realizing that he'd been spotted, he retreated to the nearest available hiding spot.

Law turned around and marched over to a couple of garbage cans beside a building where there was a young boy squatting between them with his arms over his head. "Stop following me, brat," he said simply.

The boy looked up, his blue eyes shining with alarm, his short ebony locks a mess. "How did you know where I was hiding?"

"It's snowing. Obviously, there are footprints," the teen deadpanned. "Now, go home." He turned and continued on his way, not really surprised when he heard footsteps following behind him.

Law heaved an internal sigh, cursing his luck. About a week ago, a group of punks tried to rob him on the streets, thinking he'd be an easy target since he was younger and smaller than they were. They got their asses handed to them instead. Even though Law had been unarmed at the time, and he was careful not to use his powers, he still won with relative ease. As a result, he had unwittingly gained the interest of this brat who had watched the whole thing go down.

"Where're you from?" the boy asked as he trailed behind the teen.

"Stop repeating the same question," Law replied unenthusiastically. "I didn't tell you yesterday. I'm not going to tell you today."

"I'm just curious. Your fighting style is different from the one my dad teaches. I want to know where it's from."

Law remembered the boy saying something about his father being some kind of martial arts instructor in town.

When Law didn't make any reply, the boy moved on to his next question. "How long have you been fighting? My dad's been teaching me since I learned how to walk. That's like…a really long time. I'm ten years old, you know."

"I don't care." Law frowned with irritation. The brat sure loved to talk.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"I'm not telling you." He didn't want anything to do with this kid.

The boy pouted. "You're so grumpy. Fine. I'll just call you Captain. Wanna know _my_ name?"

"No," was the swift reply. "I prefer just calling you brat." By now, they'd already left the town, entering into the forest area. Law finally turned around and looked at the kid. "What do you want from me?"

The boy blinked up at him and grinned. This was the first time the older boy gave him a response that wasn't a flat out rejection. "I want to spar, of course!" This was a small town. It was rare to find a capable fighter from a foreign place. It'd be fun!

"Not interested," Law said blandly. "Stop bothering me."

The boy saw that weird blue dome magically appear and knew what that meant. "No, wait, wait, wait!" he said, hands waving frantically.

"Shambles."

The next second, Law disappeared from his sight. "Darn it! I lost him again!" He looked left and right. All he could see were trees and more trees. "How does he even do that?! Is he some kind of ninja or something?" He heaved a disappointed sigh. Seeing no other options, he turned around and began making his way back towards the town.

Standing on a tree branch high above, Law watched the boy disappear before jumping back down and continuing on his way home.

'Home' was really more of a loose term for the cave he'd been sleeping in to stay out of the elements. His apprenticeship didn't really earn enough for him to rent a room anywhere, and living in the wild wasn't exactly a new concept to him. When he was on his journey with Corazon, they pretty much slept anywhere they could find a flat surface. He didn't tell his employer about his living conditions; he just said he had a place near the edge of town. Technically, he wasn't lying.

The cave itself wasn't much. It was just big enough to fit a bear…which he had to fight in order to get. However, the bear was either a sore loser or a fearless dimwit who didn't understand the meaning behind losing, because it would keep coming back to try to reclaim the cave. When Law made his way back, there it was again, all curled up like a giant white fuzz ball, sleeping inside as though it owned the place.

The teen stood just outside the entrance with folded arms. He was not amused. "Hey. This cave is mine. Get out."

The bear lazily opened its eyes. Realizing that it was his rival, he got up on all fours and stepped out of the cave. Growling like the predator that it was, it kept its eyes on Law as its muscles tensed up, ready to pounce.

Law jumped back, a smirk on his lips. "Now then. How should I make you understand that coming back here is not a good idea?"

The beast charged.

"Room!" Law whipped out a scalpel from his pocket. The moment his opponent entered his territory, he made a couple of slashes through the air, amputating all of the bear's limbs. Then, with a few hand gestures, the bear floated up off the ground in five separate pieces.

Ignoring the roaring bear for a moment, the Ope Ope no Mi user studied his scalpel with a pensive frown. "I need a knife," he mumbled to himself, deciding the scalpel was far too small.

He then returned his attention to the bear that was swept up in panic and confusion, roaring and growling frantically. "I've always wondered what would happen to the things I cut up if they were to leave my Room," he began conversationally. Amputate was a technique he'd discovered only recently. He had yet to understand it fully. "Looks like you get to be the lucky test subject," he said with a smile.

The blue dome disappeared as Law canceled his Room, and the floating pieces of the bear dropped to the snow-covered ground. He picked up one of the limbs and studied it. The claws extended and the paw swiped at him, causing him to back away a bit. Then he looked at the bear's main body where the head was whining helplessly. "Huh. Interesting." He had a feeling it would stay alive, but he wasn't positive. It wasn't unreasonable to think that all the wounds would suddenly begin to bleed when no longer inside the Room.

He began reattaching the limbs to the bear's body one after the other, watching them magically rejoin, then observed as the furry creature climbed back to its feet. It was completely unharmed. _So, they can be put back together even without reactivating the Room…_ "Good to know."

The bear backed away from Law, fear now clearly in its eyes. Then it made its retreat, running as fast as it could, disappearing deeper into the forest.

Law gave a huff of amusement. "That should keep it from coming back."

With that taken care of, Law got back to doing what he had originally planned to do: practice the use of his Devil Fruit powers. It was something he did every evening. He understood pretty early on that using his powers would drain his energy. The larger his Room, the longer he kept it in place, the more fatigued he'd become. Therefore, he needed to use it more and build up his stamina. He had also come to realize that Shambles was _the_ perfect getaway technique. So, his first goal was to be able to expand the size of his Room as much as possible in order to increase the distance of Shambles as much as possible.

"Room." The translucent dome appeared, and he tried to make it reach just a little bit further than the night before. "Shambles." He traded places with snow on top of a tree branch about thirty feet above ground.

"Wow! So, _that's_ where you go!"

Surprised, Law looked down to find the brat staring up at him with an awed expression on his features. He returned to the ground with furrowed brows. "How did you find me?"

The boy grinned victoriously. "Well, like you said…it's snowing, so there're footprints!" He doubled back when he remembered those words, thinking he'd have to really look hard for them, but it turned out the footprints trail started right where the older boy had disappeared on him.

"Damn it!" Law cursed under his breath. He shouldn't have said anything.

"What's that cool technique? Are you really a ninja?!" the boy asked excitedly. "Hey, Captain! Watch what I can do!" He suddenly tumbled into a rapid series of backflips; practically going airborne on the final jump, wrapping up with something like seven or ten back somersaults…it was so fast, it was hard to tell…before sticking a perfect landing on his feet.

The teen's brows rose slightly. _That's pretty cool…_ But outwardly… "I'm not impressed."

"That's just basic stuff," the boy replied easily, completely unoffended. "If you spar with me, I'll show you the advanced stuff!"

"Not interested."

"Why not? It'll be fun!"

"I don't care."

"Can you teach me that disappearing technique?"

"No. Go away."

"Do you know how to do a clone jutsu?"

"No."

"So, are you a ninja?!"

"I'm not a ninja!" Law yelled, the brat's constant pestering finally getting to him.

"Hey, do you live in this cave?" the boy inquired curiously as he switched gears and approached the cave, his eyes spotting nothing but a sleeping bag and a backpack inside. "How do you bathe? Is there like a secret hot spring nearby?"

"That's none of your business." Law actually would go to the doctor's office earlier in the morning and use the facilities there to clean up, but he wasn't about to explain it to this annoying kid.

The boy looked up at him with the corners of his lips turned down, a bit of unshed tears in his bright blue eyes. "You poor thing…"

Law gritted his teeth. The brat had the audacity to feel sorry for him? Now he was really mad. However, before he could say anything, the boy continued.

"I'll come back tomorrow!" he grinned.

"Don't come back!"

"I'll bring you something good!" the child declared happily as he started to run off in the direction of home.

"Are you even listening to me, brat?!"

The boy waved as he hollered, "See you tomorrow, Captain!"

It would appear that Law's words had fallen on deaf ears. He clawed a frustrated hand through his hair, completely dissatisfied with that entire encounter.

* * *

True to his word, the boy returned the following night…as well as every night after that. Much to the aspiring doctor's chagrin, each time he would bring with him 'something good': a toothbrush, a teacup, a small towel, a loaf of bread (which immediately got fed to the birds), a pair of socks, and so on and so forth. Each night, he would perform some acrobatic feat in hopes of impressing and enticing Law into a sparring match, and each night he would fail.

Law decided that the boy must really love the sound of his own voice, because he would talk nonstop. If he wasn't asking questions, he would be telling Law anything and everything about himself. He was an only child, and he lived in the training hall owned by his parents. He wanted to learn about different martial arts styles, develop his own techniques, and be able to train his own students in the future. His favorite color was orange. He even told Law about his pet rabbit that died and how much he cried over it.

The teen had considered moving, but a good cave was hard to find.

When the brat got too irritating to bear, which happened almost nightly, Law would sometimes use Tact to lift him off the ground and keep him suspended upside-down in midair until all the blood would rush to his head and make him dizzy, keeping him quiet for a while. Other times, Law would simply Shambles himself up into a tree with a book and remain unresponsive until the brat would finally give up and leave.

Though, without fail, the boy would always return the following evening.

* * *

(Several weeks later)

Sitting at a small table inside the local café, Law took another bite of his oatmeal as he continued to flip through that morning's paper. It was good to keep up with what was going on in the world, but it was imperative that he keep an eye out for anything about Doflamingo. So far, there hadn't been anything. Corazon had mentioned a place called Dressrosa being Doflamingo's target, but he hadn't seen anything regarding that yet either.

When he was finished with his breakfast, he paid and ventured out into the cold, heading towards the doctor's office. Along the way, he caught sight of a couple of strange men speaking with the lady at the fruit stand, holding a piece of paper out to her. It was obvious from the way they dressed that they weren't from around here. Law pulled his hoodie over his head and kept his ears opened as he walked past behind them.

"…with dark hair. Should be around fourteen years old," one of the men said.

"He has white splotches all over his skin," another added. "It's hard to miss."

The lady looked at the piece of paper and shook her head. "No…I haven't seen him."

Law subtly picked up his pace, feeling like the world just wasn't all that big. They had caught up to him again. It was time to leave. This was already the fourth island he'd relocated to in the past year. It was inconvenient, but it couldn't be helped if he wanted to stay out of Doflamingo's reach. He had no idea how many people Doflamingo had looking for him. The ones he'd seen were different every time, and he didn't recognize any of them. The only good thing about this was that they were still looking for a boy with skin depigmentation, unaware that his skin color had already reverted back to normal. He had also gained a bit of height, further changing his physical appearance.

He supposed it was a good time to leave anyway. The brat was getting too attached, and it was making him uncomfortable. He couldn't understand what exactly it was that the boy saw in him. The way the kid would look at him like he was something great…it reminded him of Lami, and it wasn't something he could deal with right now.

* * *

"What do you _mean_ you're leaving?!" The boy practically whined as he stood by the cave's entrance.

Law sat on his sleeping bag with his back leaned up against the cave wall, arms behind his head, unperturbed by the boy's distress. "It means I'm leaving," he repeated. There was no way to simplify it further than that.

"But why?" the boy persisted. "Can you even afford to leave?" He heard boat rides were expensive.

The teen's brows twitched at that unintentional verbal jab but said nothing.

"Where're you going?"

"You don't need to know." Actually, he wasn't sure himself either. Anywhere was fine, as long as it was a place he hadn't already been to. It was important that he go somewhere where he won't be recognized.

"Are you coming back?"

"No."

The boy huddled down, wrapping his arms around his legs with a crestfallen frown. "…I thought we were friends," he said dejectedly.

Law averted his eyes. "You thought wrong." He had a mission, and he had to keep moving. Friendship was a luxury and a hassle he didn't even want to entertain. It was a good thing he could finally set the brat straight. "Now go home. And don't come back."

The boy shot to his feet with a glare, looking like he was about to cry. Then he turned and ran away.

Law heaved a sigh. It wasn't like he purposely aimed to upset the kid, but this was for the best. It was highly unlikely they'd ever cross paths again in the future anyway.

Not long after that thought crossed his mind, he heard the boy's scream echo through the forest, followed immediately by the roar of a beast.

"Shit!" Law scrambled to his feet and sped out into the snow, running as fast as he could. His fears were confirmed when he finally reached the boy, a sinking feeling settling in his gut at the sight.

The child was motionless, face down on the ground, his blood dyeing the snow around him red. A white bear…the same one he'd fought off multiple times…was standing over the boy. With one paw on its prey's back, keeping him down, the bear opened its jaws, ready to feast.

Law rushed forth. "Get away from him!"

The bear looked up and immediately backed away when he realized who it was.

Law dropped to his knees beside the child. It didn't look good. The flesh on his back had been completely clawed open. "Hey, brat! Answer me!" He turned the boy over. The front wasn't much better. He was losing too much blood.

Law placed his hand on the boy's neck. The pulse was fading fast. The boy was dying, and it was his fault. He'd known about the damn bear, but he never thought to warn the kid about it. And the only reason the kid was even hanging around out here was because _he_ was here.

He punched his fist into the red snow and hung his head. In that moment, he really hated himself. He felt powerless. Even with the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi, this wasn't something he could fix.

Then his head shot up, a crazy idea brewing in his mind as he fixed his wide eyes on the white bear that had cowered behind a tree.

Sensing danger in that wild predatory look in the teen's eyes, the bear backed away further before turning and really making a run for it.

Law looked between the boy and the bear, trying to make a decision. He didn't really have the time to think this through. It was now or never. He held his arm up, palm facing down. "Room!"

He kept his eyes on the retreating bear as the blue dome expanded, desperately trying to catch up to the beast. _Come on! Reach!_ By now, his Room was already twice as big as he'd ever made it, and he was feeling the strain. Then three times as big. _Almost there…_ Four times as big. _Got you!_ "Shambles!"

The bear collapsed.

Then Law collapsed, completely exhausted by that stunt.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he was confused. What was he doing just lying around in the snow? He sat up and looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He turned his head to find Law also sitting in the snow with his back resting against a fallen tree trunk, looking up at him.

The teen was looking _up_ at him. That…didn't make sense.

"Why're you shorter-?" He stopped when he realized his voice was different, his hand automatically reaching for his throat. That was when he noticed the feeling of his hand and throat felt foreign as well. He looked at his hand and balked when, instead of a hand, what he saw was a paw. "What?" He looked at himself then and saw that his entire body was covered with white fur. He began to hyperventilate. "What's going on?!"

"You were attacked by a bear," Law provided. "Do you remember?"

Yes. It was coming back to him now. He had been upset at the time, and he didn't notice when the bear jumped him from behind. "But…that doesn't explain…" He held his paws up, not even sure how to phrase it.

"You were dying. I…couldn't do anything to save your body," Law explained. "All I could do was switch the place of your brain and your heart with that of the bear's."

"You…" He frowned, completely lost. "What?"

"I put you in the bear's body to keep you alive," Law said, his tone dispirited. Was it the right thing to do? He didn't know. This was probably one of those miraculous medical achievements of the Ope Ope no Mi that Corazon was talking about, but somehow, he didn't feel very accomplished.

"So…" The child-bear began hyperventilating again. "…I'm a bear now? What about my real body? Where is it?"

Law pointed to his other side to where he had laid the boy's body.

The child-bear looked at the lifeless mangled mess that was himself. Unable to speak, he simply began to cry as he picked up the frail form and cradled it to his chest.

"I'm sorry," the teen finally managed to say, his heart heavy with guilt.

The boy got to his feet…his hind legs. "I have to go home."

Law stood up as well. "I don't think that's a good idea."

The boy didn't listen and began to walk.

Knowing this wasn't going to end well, Law trailed behind. He followed the boy back to the training hall he called home and waited outside.

Shortly after, the agonizing scream of a woman pierced through the air. Then there were angry shouts of men…the sound of things crashing…and finally, the gunshots. Before long, a white bear came barreling out on all fours at breakneck speed, escaping to the forest with tears in his eyes.

* * *

When Law made it back to the cave, the child-bear was already curled up inside, sobbing miserably.

"What am I supposed to do now?" the boy asked, noticing the teen's presence. "I'm not human anymore! I can't go home. I have nowhere to go. I'm not even a real bear!" He had no idea how to survive in the wild like an actual bear.

Law clenched his fists as he stared at him, overcome with a sense of regret. He did this to the boy. "I made you what you are," he began, his tone subdued. "You're my responsibility. Come with me. I'll look out for you."

The boy swiped a paw over his eyes. "You live in a cave," he pointed out with a sniffle.

If the situation wasn't so grim, Law might have gotten annoyed. "It'll get better."

Seeing no other option, the boy simply nodded.

Law wondered if he could really make good on those promises. After all, he had issues himself and probably was not the most stable in mind. He really wasn't the best role model…not anymore…and he had powerful enemies. Taking someone with him, a child no less, was far from what he had in mind. It definitely won't be easy, but he owed this kid. He would do his best to keep his word.

The teen sat down beside the quietly sniffling bear and placed a hand on his back, rubbing his fur in what he hoped was a reassuring way. In response, the child-bear placed his head on Law's lap, trying to get as much comfort as possible. "What's your name?" Law finally asked his new companion, petting the fur on his head.

"…Bepo."

"We'll leave this island in the morning." The fact that he needed to run aside, it would be difficult for Bepo to be so close to home and not be able to go home. "But let's get you some clothes first," he suggested.

"Wouldn't it be weird for a bear to be wearing clothes?" Bepo asked, his eyelids drooping, finally feeling the exhaustion.

"A talking bear is pretty weird already. Might as well." It was a matter of dignity, and the clothes should provide some measure of protection for Bepo. At the very least, people would be less likely to think he was a wild bear and shoot on sight.

"Do you think there are other talking bears out there?" Bepo asked tentatively.

Law gave that some consideration, recalling all the strange things he'd seen. The world was filled with plenty of unimaginable things. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are."

Bepo yawned, allowing himself to be soothed by the petting on his head. "I'd like to meet one someday, Captain."

The teen blinked down at the bear, remembering one little detail. "My name's Law."

"Mm…good to finally know…" With that, Bepo drifted off to sleep.

Law settled in, trying to get as comfortable as possible. For better or for worse, tomorrow, they would begin their new journey together.

* * *

A/N: Wow…it's been about 2 and a half years since I last posted something. I think that's a record. I feel out of practice.

Anyway, so that's the first chapter. Hope you liked! Obviously, I'm going to be inventing backstories for members of the Heart Pirates…reinventing on Bepo's part. I already had this idea in mind before I found out about Bepo's real origins. I thought about whether or not to revise my story to match canon but eventually realized that I was kind of already married to my idea. So, Bepo's bit is AU, but everything else I try not to contradict what's already been revealed in the series. Bepo's personality is kinda different here, too. That'll get explained later.

I think even though Law was saved by Corazon, and he started to change and turn away from that crazy destructive frame of mind, he still wouldn't be so easy and willing to trust people in general. He did get screwed over pretty bad. He wouldn't be looking for friends or teammates. So, it made sense to me that in order for him to even _begin_ to trust someone, that person would have to be really innocent. That's why Bepo's a child, still bright-eyed and uncorrupted. Throw in some guilt and responsibility, and they're bound together for good. Otherwise, Law would just be doing this thing solo and there'd be no Heart Pirates. LOL!

Law's powers seem pretty diverse and versatile. (Incidentally, it's the first Devil Fruit power I actually would like to have. XD) He can cut up body parts and still have them be linked to their original owner…like what happens when he uses Mes, and usually the case when he uses Amputate. But then he can also cut them and have the body parts be controlled by the being it's attached to…like what happened with Brownbeard and all those weird pirate centaur things on Punk Hazard. It looks like it's pretty flexible, depending on what Law wants to happen. So, in Bepo's case here, he basically permanently rewired his brain and heart to the bear's body. It's not the same as switching personalities like he did with the Strawhats, which was more of an intangible switch of the heart/soul. I just feel I should explain that what he did with Bepo is a bit different from his other techniques. It'll be somewhat important in the next chapter.

This story will be just 3 chapters…though the third chapter might get split into two due to length. I'll try to update every other week. As usual, the thing's already mapped out, so if some crucial info gets dropped in canon here on out, it won't be incorporated.

This chapter was kind of hard to write since Law was on his own most of the time. There weren't a whole lot of character interactions. Hope it didn't turn out too boring. Heh…

I think the only foreign term used in this chapter is "jutsu." It means technique/method/skill. Fans of Naruto should be familiar with it.

Oh, and I guess Ope Ope no Mi, too. Basically, the Op Op Fruit in English.

And, just for kicks, here's an omake…

* * *

 **Omake:**

(Aboard the Marine ship, after Law had left…)

Two Marines entered the cargo hold to make sure there'd be enough room for the new supplies they were about to bring aboard.

"What's that weird smell?" the first Marine said, sniffing the air.

"I dunno," the second said, clamping his nostrils shut with two fingers. "Did some of the food go bad or something?"

"All we have in here should be canned goods. Even if they go bad, we shouldn't be able to smell it, idiot."

"Then maybe a seagull got in and died. That's happened before."

They split up to look for the source of the stench.

Marine One spotted something and grimaced. "Ugh… There's a huge splatter of dried puke in this corner."

"Um…there's a pile of shit over here…literally," Marine Two added, refusing to let go of his nose. He was sure that if he did, he'd probably smell urine as well.

"So, there really _was_ a stowaway?" Marine One asked with disbelief. One of the guys said he thought he saw a kid run down the gangplank, but it was dark so he wasn't sure. Not to mention, their last stop was Minion Island. There shouldn't have been anyone there to begin with.

Marine Two shrugged. "I guess." He was more concerned about how to deal with the kid's leftovers. "I'm not cleaning this shit."

"Me neither," Marine One agreed. "Let's just pretend we didn't see anything and let the next guy deal with it."

"That'd be Aldwin and Jabez. They deserve it."

Sharing a laugh, the pair walked out, reporting that there was enough room for more supplies and nothing else.

* * *

A/N: Looking at it dramatically, you'd get the second scene in this chapter. Looking at it more realistically, you'd get the omake. (-_-) Poor Law. It was a rough ride. Can't blame him for hating bread if he associates it with this experience. But hey, I'm sure he's at least happy knowing that some unsuspecting Marines had to clean up after his crap. LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro.

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

(One year later. Law – Age 15, Bepo – Age 11)

"Law…" Bepo called out, sounding decidedly worn out. "Can I get out, yet?"

"No."

Bepo was so tired he could cry. "But it feels like I've been doing this forever already…"

"You're exaggerating," the dark-haired boy drawled unsympathetically. It had only been about an hour.

The two of them were at a lake. Bepo was swimming laps as a part of his daily morning routine while Law lounged comfortably under the shades of a tree with his nose in a book, reading up on neurology. The sky was clear, and the spring-like weather was perfect for their respective activities.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Bepo pleaded. He was pretty sure he'd been swimming a lot longer than he did yesterday. "If I keep going, I'm gonna drown and you won't be able to save me!"

Law snapped his book shut with a sigh. He supposed it was enough. "One more lap, and we'll call it a day."

Bepo was relieved, thanking all his lucky stars. He could manage one more. "Aye aye, Captain!" After taking a deep breath, the white bear dove under to make his way across the lake one last time.

* * *

After the lake, the pair went to a small local mart to pick up a few items. They split up for efficiency, Law heading in one direction while Bepo headed in the other. When Bepo couldn't find the item he was looking for, he went back to the front counter to speak with the cashier.

"Excuse me," Bepo began. "Where do you keep the toothbrushes?"

The cashier, a teenager with too many freckles on his face, looked up from his magazine and his eyes bulged at the thing standing before him. "Ah! A giant bear!" He didn't even know there were bears on this island!

Bepo's cheeks warmed, and he lowered his head, feeling self-conscious. "I'm sorry…"

"Please don't eat me!" the cashier went on as he took an uncertain step back, obviously didn't hear anything that came out of the bear's mouth.

Bepo frowned dejectedly. "I'm sorry…but can you tell me where to find the toothbrushes?"

The cashier blinked, only now realizing that the bear was actually speaking to him. In fact, it was fully clothed. This was entirely too strange, and all he could think of was, "…Why would a bear need a toothbrush?"

The white bear tugged on his sleeves uncomfortably and was about to apologize again when a loud bang on the counter made both him and the cashier jump.

Law stood beside Bepo with his hand still on the bottle of juice he'd just slammed onto the counter, giving the cashier the worst death glare. "A customer just asked you a question," he simply said.

The cashier gulped, thinking this guy was probably younger than himself and rather lanky. But somehow, he seemed much more intimidating than the bear. "Th-the toothbrushes should be on the second aisle where the toothpastes are," he replied hurriedly.

"I already checked," Bepo supplied. "I don't see it."

"Then somebody must've grabbed the last one," the cashier said with a nervous smile. "Let me go get some more from the back," he said before making his escape.

"You don't need to apologize to idiots," Law pointed out as calmly as possible when they were alone again.

"I'm sorry…" Bepo said, prompting the aspiring doctor to shoot him a glare.

Law heaved an internal sigh, trying not to let his exasperation show. Bepo had changed since the incident. Being inside of a bear's body now, it made him stand out; it made him different. Wherever they went, the initial response people generally would have upon seeing him was fear. It made him self-conscious and insecure, and his self-confidence dropped. The brat used to talk so much Law felt like his ears were going to bleed, but now he was more withdrawn. When in public, he would rarely even speak. But what bothered Law the most was how Bepo began apologizing for everything as though he was trying to apologize for his existence. Every time he did it, Law would feel the urge to punch somebody: either Bepo or whoever he was apologizing to. But more often than not, he would want to punch himself.

* * *

When Bepo stepped out of the mart onto the street, a running small boy bumped into his tummy.

The boy, who was wearing a cap that covered his ears and obscured his eyes, looked up to beg pardon but ended up freezing with dropped jaws. "Woah…" Then he gasped. "Ah! I gotta run!" He ran past Bepo then promptly tripped, fell, and passed out face down.

At this point, Law stepped out of the mart with a bag of purchased goods in his arm. Seeing Bepo standing there with his paws on his cheeks, looking at the boy on the ground with distress, he deadpanned, "Did you freak him out?"

Bepo dropped his head. "I'm sorry."

Law sighed, handing the bag over to the bear before crouching down beside the boy who, for whatever reason, seemed to be wearing clothes that were two sizes too big for him. He turned the boy over and slapped his face lightly. "Hey, kid."

No response.

Law looked around, not finding anybody that seemed like they were with the kid. And, judging by the blood stains seeping through his pants, it looked like the kid scraped his knees in the fall. Heaving another sigh, Law threw the boy over one shoulder and started walking. "Let's go."

Bepo picked up the bag the boy had dropped and followed.

* * *

They returned to the clinic Law was currently working at. As they entered the reception, the nurse raised a brow, pointedly looking at the body draping over the teen's shoulder.

"He fainted on the street," Law explained unenthusiastically. "Thought I'd bring him in."

The nurse simply nodded her understanding and didn't ask further questions as Law and Bepo went inside, heading for the exam room that had been designated as Law's. With an exam table as well as a desk, the room was basically like his personal office.

Bepo got the exam table ready before taking the boy from Law, laying him down on the table. He then prepared to check the boy's blood pressure without having to be told. This was all pretty routine to him by now.

Law could tell that Bepo was still a bit depressed from what happened earlier. "Once I'm ready, let's head out to sea," he suggested.

The white bear blinked back at him. "To sea?"

"We'll live on the ocean," the teen elaborated.

"Why?" Bepo had never thought about life on the sea before, though he did end up traveling across the ocean a good number of times in the past year. Usually, they'd have to relocate every two to three months because of the men looking for Law. Once, they even had to move before having stayed at an island for a month.

Law gave that question a bit of thought before giving his reply. "There's more freedom in the open waters." He recalled how he had felt the most free during those days when he was traveling with Corazon, even though he had literally been about to die. Out there, he didn't have to deal with people and their discriminations. Bepo wouldn't have to either.

"You can't swim," the white bear reminded.

To this, Law could only smirk. "It hasn't stopped anybody before."

Bepo tilted his head, curious. "Where will we go?"

"Wherever we want. And we'll do whatever we want."

Bepo gave a short chuckle. "Like find a talking bear?"

Law shrugged. "Maybe."

Bepo smiled appreciatively, his mood picking up. "I'm going to go check the supplies," he announced as he headed for the door.

Law nodded and turned his attention to the unconscious boy.

* * *

The boy opened his eyes and sat up. Looking around the room, he had no idea where he was. Then he felt something weird on his legs and pulled up his baggy pants to investigate, finding that his knees had been patched up.

"You scraped your knees when you fell. You should watch where you're going, kid."

The boy turned to find an older boy he couldn't recognize washing his hands at the small sink. "What happened?"

"You passed out on the street, so I brought you back to the clinic," Law supplied blandly.

"Are you a doctor?" He seemed a bit young for the job.

"Apprentice," Law corrected. Although, he was fairly certain he knew a lot more than the doctor he was supposedly learning from. Putting on his stethoscope, he proceeded to give the boy a check-up as he seemed rather pale and malnourished. "How old are you, kid?" he asked after listening to his lungs.

"Twelve."

He was undoubtedly small for his age. The kid could pass as a nine-year-old. Definitely malnourished. No wonder he passed out so easily. It didn't help that his clothes looked way too big, either. His baggy pants were folded up at the legs. He wore a shirt with sleeves that were far too long. Even his shoes didn't fit right. Whoever was in charge of this kid was doing a magnificently crappy job. "Where're your parents?" Law asked, sticking a thermometer into the kid's mouth.

"I don't have any," the boy answered innocently, trying to talk around the thermometer. "My master adopted me from the orphanage."

Law raised a brow. "Master? Shouldn't it be stepfather or something?"

The kid tilted his head in confusion. "No…I work for him. I'm a servant."

Law scowled. "Right." So, basically, the guy was some kind of lowlife who got himself a slave from the orphanage. Why was he still appalled to find there were these kinds of people in the world? He should know better than most that the world was filled with filth like that. "When was the last time you saw a doctor?"

"Umm…"

Law took that to mean probably never. He went to the door and poked his head out, speaking quietly with someone outside before returning to the boy. "I'm going to give you a couple of shots," he explained as he retrieved the thermometer, checking the reading. "It's for preventative measures. It'll boost your immune system and vaccinate you against some common viruses."

The boy couldn't help but wonder why he was getting all this medical treatment. "I don't have any money though."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Law said distractedly as he wrote some things down on a clipboard. "It's on me this time, since you did trip because of Bepo."

The boy furrowed his brows. "Bepo?"

At that moment, Bepo stepped into the room holding a tray with needles and a few bottles of vaccines. "Here it is, Law."

The boy's eyes widened and his jaws dropped, suddenly remembering what happened this morning when he tripped. "You can talk?!"

Bepo looked at the boy. "Uh…sorry."

"That's soooooooo cool!" the boy exclaimed, eyes shining with awe. "What else can you do?!"

The white bear's cheeks colored with embarrassment, never receiving that reaction from people before.

Law rolled his eyes but couldn't help feeling pleased. "Give me your arm," he instructed as he held his hand out, waiting. The boy did as instructed, and Law pulled up his ridiculously long sleeve, revealing a series of circular burn marks along the boy's arm. It was obvious to the aspiring doctor they were made by cigarettes.

Seeing Law's dark glare at his arm, the boy hesitantly explained. "I…broke one of Master's vases…so…"

"You got all this because you broke a damn vase?" Law inquired, trying to keep the edge off his voice.

The kid pulled on his cap sheepishly. "Well, no. This was from the vase," he said, pointing to the first burn mark. "That's the golden horse sculpture," he continued, pointing to the next. "This one's from when I accidentally spilt tea on his fur coat. And this was…"

As the explanation continued, Law closed his eyes with disbelief. How much of a klutz could this kid be?! Still, that lowlife had no right to abuse. Decision made, he held up his free hand. "Bepo. Scalpel."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Bepo replied as he went to retrieve the designated item.

The boy smiled, curious. "Why do you call him Captain? Shouldn't it be Doctor?"

"Uh…sorry," Bepo said as he passed the scalpel to Law.

With the desired tool in hand, Law called up his Room. Then, much to the boy's shock, the teen took the scalpel to his arm and removed the skin on his entire arm before he even knew it. Not just the burnt skin, but healthy skin as well. He couldn't even see how he did it! And he wasn't sure if it was because of shock or fear or what, but he couldn't feel _anything_. Not to mention, now his skin was just miraculously floating in the air before his eyes. He then watched as Law waved the scalpel in the air a couple of times, and it looked like his floating skin suddenly disintegrated into tiny little pieces.

Law tossed the scalpel at Bepo, who freaked out a bit before safely catching the sharp object. Then he gestured with his hand, and the disintegrated pieces swirled as though caught in a mini whirlwind. Finally, the Ope Ope no Mi user reassembled them onto the kid's arm before canceling his Room.

The boy studied his arm, absolutely amazed. "What did you do?!"

"It's still there," Law said flatly as he wiped the kid's inner elbow with a piece of cotton Bepo had soaked in disinfectant for him. "I just moved things around so it's not noticeable." He leaned towards the boy with narrowed eyes, holding up the injection needle between them as he issued his threat. "Don't tell anyone, kid, or I'll dissect your kidneys. Got it?"

The boy gulped, leaning back a bit as he nodded. "My name's Penguin," he supplied.

Law raised a brow then proceeded to give the series of injections without responding. "You're good to go," he said when he was finished.

Bepo handed Penguin his bag. "Here are your things."

"Thanks!" Penguin said with a grin. However, seeing his things reminded him of the errand he was originally on and had yet to finish. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. "I'm gonna be late! I can't be late!" Hopping off the exam table, he rushed for the door but promptly fell on his face.

Bepo scratched his head. "…I'm starting to think maybe it wasn't my fault he tripped this morning."

The corner of Law's lip tilted up in amusement, images of another clumsy person coming to mind, before he caught himself and scowled.

Penguin scrambled to his feet, bidding a hasty farewell and thanks as he rushed out.

A few moments later, Law sat down, braced his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands. "…I shouldn't have done that."

"Shouldn't have done what?" Bepo asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"Show the kid my Devil Fruit powers." It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he sort of regretted it now.

"You're a doctor, Law. That's what you do. Besides, it was super cool!" Bepo beamed. Anything Law did with his powers was cool.

"It's a risk," Law said, not convinced by his companion's enthusiasm. He had to remind himself that whenever he put himself at risk, he was also putting Bepo at risk. He needed to be more careful.

* * *

The next day, Law found himself drowning in work. The clinic was busier than normal. Some patients were even asking for him by name, much to his and everyone else's bafflement. Wanting to get to the bottom of this, he finally asked one of his patients, an old lady, how she got his name.

"Oh, I was actually at another doctor's office," she said. "He's quite well known and well respected, so his office was packed and the wait was long. I'd been there all morning, and it still wasn't my turn!" she exclaimed with an indignant huff. "Then this cute little boy came in and told everyone in the waiting area about how he had been healed by a young and kind doctor here named Law who could work wonders. So, a bunch of us decided to come here instead of wait over there," she finished with a friendly smile.

She was probably expecting him to feel proud, but hearing this actually made Law nervous. Nevertheless, he finished treating the old lady with his best poker face. After she walked out, he closed the door and turned his glare to the window where he had noticed Penguin peeking in, silently cursing the fact that the clinic was a single-story building.

Penguin ducked, but Law opened the window and found him crouching on the grass just under the window sill. Reaching out and grabbing a fistful of the kid's shirt collar, the teen yanked him into the room. Not letting go of the shirt, Law held the kid down on the floor.

"What did you tell them?!" Law hissed between clenched teeth.

Penguin waved his hands frantically. "I didn't say anything about the weird magic stuff, I swear! I just told them what a great doctor you are and that they should come see you! You know…since I can't pay you…I figured I can at least help get you more business as thanks."

Law stared at the kid with deliberation. Determining that Penguin was telling the truth, Law let go of his shirt with a huff. "Stop sticking your nose into other people's business, kid. I don't need advertisement."

Penguin sat up with a grin, a retort at the ready. "It doesn't hurt."

However, from Law's perspective... "It might."

The younger boy tilted his head with a puzzled frown. "How so?"

Not wanting to explain, Law simply said, "Never mind." Now that he took a better look at the boy, he noticed the bruise on his cheek as well as the split in his lip. He grabbed Penguin's chin and turned his head to the side to get a better look. "What happened?" he asked, his tone impassive.

Penguin adjusted his cap with a sheepish wince. "Oh…I was late yesterday, so…"

Law's blood boiled but remained outwardly calm. Standing up, he went to the cabinets and began digging through a drawer. "Come here," he ordered simply.

The boy obeyed and tried not to hiss once the aspiring doctor began cleaning his split lip with an antiseptic. Then Law rubbed some ointment on his bruised cheek before handing him the bottle of ointment and issuing instructions. "Apply three times a day for the next couple of days."

Penguin looked up at Law with disappointment. "Aww… You're not going to use magic?"

The Ope Ope no Mi user scowled. "This will go away on its own. Now get outta here and stop bothering me before I decide to pull your eye out through your ear canal."

"Where's Bepo?" the kid asked, ignoring the dismissal. "Can I hang out with him?"

"He's busy," Law replied as he folded his arms. "Don't you need to leave before you're late again?"

Penguin checked the clock on the wall and grinned. "Nope! I can finish my errands a lot faster than they think, so I got lots of free time." Yesterday was a bit of a special case, because another servant was ill in bed and he had to do twice as many things as usual.

"Great," the teen said sarcastically.

Then Bepo entered the room, looking weary. "Law, can we break for lunch, yet?" he practically whined. "I'm hungry."

"Bepo!" Penguin exclaimed happily. Then he turned to the older boy. "Yeah, let's go have lunch, Law! Oh…I don't have any money, though."

Law rubbed his temples with one hand. "Bepo…take him and go have lunch somewhere."

"What about you?" the bear inquired.

"Just bring me back something," Law replied tiredly. "Thanks to _someone_ , I have a lot of work to do."

Penguin beamed. "You're welcome!"

Law heaved an internal sigh. The kid obviously didn't get sarcasm. "Just go."

"OK!" Penguin said. "We'll bring you back something good!" Then he proceeded to pull the white bear out the door. "What should we get Law? There's that sandwich place down the block. I've never tried it, but it always smells sooooooo good!"

"Law hates bread," Bepo supplied.

Penguin laughed. "No way! Really? That's weird! What does he like then?"

When their voices faded, Law placed his forehead on the desk, unsure of what exactly was being put into motion here.

And so, it became routine for Penguin to drop by the clinic on almost a daily basis.

* * *

Bepo went up the stairs, two steps at a time, heading back to the small studio apartment he and Law had rented. With more funds at their disposal, they'd long since upgraded from having to live out in the wild. When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised to find his companion still in bed. Law was something of an insomniac and never slept well through the night. He tended to have trouble waking up in the morning, but that wasn't going to stop Bepo from trying.

"Law, wake up!" Bepo said excitedly as he shook the sleeping teen.

Law turned away, mumbling as he did. "…leave me alone…"

"Law, come on, wake up!" Bepo repeated, still shaking the poor guy. "I have something to show you!"

Finally giving up trying to go back to sleep after a full minute of being shaken, Law rubbed his face with his hands and glared up at Bepo.

Unaffected by the death glare, Bepo held out a book for Law to see. "I went out and bought it this morning!"

Law took the book and looked at the title. "The Art of Navigation."

"We're going to live on the ocean someday, right?" the bear began with a delighted smile. "When that happens, I'll be your bodyguard, and I'll be your navigator! That way, you won't have to do everything." He wanted to be useful and carry some of the weight instead of being completely reliant on Law.

The dark-haired teen sat up and flipped through the book with a thoughtful frown. The text was pretty in-depth, not really meant for an eleven-year-old. "Can you even understand this?" he asked skeptically.

"I'll figure it out," the bear replied dismissively. "You can teach me!"

"Then I'd have to learn it first," Law deadpanned. What was that about him not having to do everything?

Bepo gave a sheepish chuckle and quickly changed the subject. "Guess what else? I saw a Marine ship docking at the first pier!"

"Hmm?" Law looked out the window, running a hand through his hair with a contemplative expression on his features before looking back at Bepo with a smirk. "Guess today's a good day to call in sick."

* * *

Law and Bepo arrived at the docks. There were a total of sixty-six piers at this port with Pier 1 being the largest and longest pier reserved for government ships. Pier 66 was the shortest and smallest, used only by the smallest local fishing boats. The docks spanned a pretty long distance along the island's crescent-shaped coast.

Instead of walking out on Pier 1, the duo went out on Pier 2. It was close enough.

Law surveyed the Marines at the neighboring pier. Some were moving crates while others were stretching on deck. There were a few making repairs. Then there were those who were just casually conversing on the pier. "How many rocks do you have in your backpack?"

"I think eighty," Bepo replied.

"That's it?"

"You try carrying eighty rocks!" the white bear grumbled. "It's heavy!" Not to mention, Law still made him go swim laps at the lake before coming here. It seemed there was just no breaking from that morning routine. He was pretty beat.

Law gave a light snicker that turned into a smirk. "Well, it's about to get heavier." He took a deep breath then called out his Room…one big enough to encompass the entire Marine ship from where he was standing. Then he waited, making sure nobody had noticed. In his experience, when people were preoccupied or not paying attention to him specifically, they generally wouldn't notice his Room taking shape. This time was no different. He pulled out a switchblade knife and called out his next technique; one that he had developed about seven months ago and had helped make their lives so much easier ever since.

"Scan."

Law slowly moved his knife from left to right. With his Devil Fruit powers granting him the ability to see through solid objects, he easily located the things he wanted. "Shambles."

Bepo lost his balance and fell back. The rocks in his backpack had just been switched with the wallets of eighty Marines.

"Too easy," Law said. Nevertheless, he was actually feeling rather exhausted from the size of the Room he had to use. Putting up a Room big enough to enclose an entire Marine ship was still a bit of a stretch for him at this point. "Let's go." He needed to crash.

"Are you really sure it's ok to be stealing from the Marines?" Bepo asked as they walked back along the pier. "I mean…I get why we're stealing from pirates." They got their wealth by taking it from others to begin with. It was actually pretty funny how they'd been so easily Shambling entire treasure chests off of pirate ships without anybody even noticing. "But aren't the Marines the good guys?"

Law's expression darkened as he continued to lead the way. "Believe me, Bepo…there are just as many scum working for the World Government as there are working for pirates."

* * *

"Law! Bepo!" Penguin exclaimed excitedly as he climbed in through the window to Law's exam room. "Guess what I saw at the docks this morning?!" When he looked up, neither of those two was there. Instead, there was a man poking around in the room, looking at the patient files on the desk. "Oh…I'm sorry…" Penguin said. Maybe he was intruding on a patient. That would earn him a couple of threats from Law loaded with medical terminology.

"It's fine," the man said stoically. "I'm just waiting."

Then Penguin noticed the man's Marine uniform and tilted his head. "Mister, are you with the ship that came in this morning?" He had actually come to tell Law and Bepo about it as well as his plan to 'advertise' to the Marines about Law's skills. Certainly, Marines who had been out at sea for a while would require health checks, wouldn't they? It made sense to him.

"Yes, little one," the man confirmed. "While in town, I'd heard about a brilliant young doctor who works here and thought I'd pay him a visit."

Penguin immediately brightened. "You're here to see Law?!" It appeared he wasn't the only one talking about the teen's genius. "He's the best doctor in town! He's my friend, you know!"

"Yes…Law…" The man offered a small smile. "Tell me about him. Is he really as young as they say?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! He wouldn't tell me how old he is, but I'm pretty sure he's still just a teenager. Cool, huh?"

"Indeed…"

"He lets me hang out with him here every day," Penguin continued, "even though he's busy. He gets grumpy about it, but I don't think he minds too much, cuz he never actually kicked me out." Looking at the man more clearly, he noticed something for the first time and went to get a tissue. "Here, mister," he said, holding it out to the Marine. "You have some food on your face." It was probably from lunch.

The man accepted with thanks when the door opened.

The nurse looked at them, surprised to find people in the room. "I'm sorry, sir. May I ask why you're in here?" she asked the man.

"Pardon me," the Marine apologized smoothly. "I seem to have gotten lost while looking for the restroom."

"Come back out. It's the second door to the right," the nurse replied.

"Thank you. And when will Dr. Law be in?"

"I'm sorry. He called in sick this morning," the nurse explained. "You'll be seeing Dr. Blackwell today." Then she turned to the boy with a slightly exasperated sigh. "Did you hear that, Penguin? He's not here, so it's time for you to go." Honestly, she didn't know why Law lets him hang around, and she understood even less why the other doctors didn't have anything to say about it.

"Oh…all right," the boy said with disappointment.

The nurse went to the cabinets and grabbed the bottle of pills she was looking for and hurried back out, speaking under her breath as she went. "I never thought it'd be this hectic without that boy…"

"Why don't you come with me, little one?" the Marine said as he looked down at Penguin, the friendly expression still on his features. "I require some assistance…and I believe you could be most helpful."

* * *

The next morning, Law and Bepo returned to the clinic.

As Bepo cleaned up around the room to get ready for the day, he found a cap on the floor by the desk. He picked it up and handed it to Law, who was sitting at said desk. "Looks like Penguin left his cap."

Law refrained from rolling his eyes. "He probably came by yesterday when we were out." He tossed the cap onto the desk when a small piece of paper with something scribbled onto it fell out from inside the cap. Frowning, he picked up the piece of paper and read the note:

 _Deserter, Last pier before noon for boy._

Law's eyes widened as he shot up to his feet. "Shit!" With Penguin's cap grasped in his hand, the teen bolted out the door.

Startled, Bepo gave chase. "Wait!" he called when he finally caught up to Law on the street. "What's going on?!"

"Penguin's been kidnapped!" Law answered straightforwardly, not slowing down his pace.

"What?" That made no sense. Penguin was just some servant kid. He wasn't rich, and he had no status. "Why would anybody kidnap Penguin?"

Law gritted his teeth. "It's because of me!" The note was vague enough that, to anyone who didn't know, it may not come off as a threat. But it called him a deserter. That meant it was from either Doflamingo or someone with the Donquixote Pirates. Nobody else would consider him a deserter.

Law cursed himself. He shouldn't have let the kid get too close.

* * *

The duo arrived at Pier 66, the last pier, hiding behind a couple of trees by the shore. This area was rarely used, as not many people owned small boats. There were hardly any people around.

Looking out, Bepo could see a man wearing a Marine uniform and sunglasses standing at the far end of the pier. He had what appeared to be a bamboo stick held in his hand. Sitting on the planks beside him was a badly beaten and tied up Penguin. Bepo frowned with worry. Why would a Marine do something like this? He turned to ask for some kind of explanation and stopped short at the expression he saw on Law's features, one that could only be described as fear.

The teen's body was trembling ever so slightly but uncontrollably, and he could feel himself begin to hyperventilate. "…Vergo…" He placed a hand on the tree to keep himself standing, his mind traveling back in time. This was the man who nearly killed him two years ago.

"Law! Get a hold of yourself!" Bepo voiced with concern. He'd never seen Law react in this way. It was scaring him.

"I can't…I can't beat him, Bepo," Law said, his eyes darting around as he fisted a hand in his hair. "What do I do?" He wasn't stupid. He knew that, even with the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi at his disposal, he was far from being at Vergo's level. He sat down with his back leaning against the tree, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He was drawing a complete blank.

Bepo pulled at his sleeve nervously. "Is that man going to kill Penguin?" The boy looked pretty bloody and bruised.

"If I don't show up by noon," Law replied, his voice muffled by his hands. Even if he _did_ show, Vergo would probably still kill Penguin anyway. Then he'd beat the tar out of Law before bringing him to Doflamingo.

Bepo looked at the clock tower along the harbor. "There's an hour before noon."

So, there was a bit of time, Law noted. Think…he needed to think! If he can't take Vergo head on, then he'd have to do something roundabout. But what?

"I don't understand. Isn't he a Marine?" Bepo finally asked. He thought the Marines were supposed to stop people from doing bad things, not beat up kids and hold them hostage.

"That's the thing," Law began tiredly, "he's not a—"

The teen's head shot up, wide eyes staring at Bepo as an idea struck. He handed Penguin's cap to Bepo as he scrambled to his feet. "Stay here and wait for me," he instructed. "Stay out of sight!" With that said, Law took off running. _There's still time… I can make it!_

* * *

"Why're you doing this?" Penguin asked with a cough. "I don't even know you." The guy didn't even bother to give him any food. Good thing he was no stranger to starvation. Going to bed without dinner was a punishment he was used to.

"It's just your luck," Vergo replied calmly without looking at the boy. "You drew the short straw."

Penguin glared. "What do you have against Law?" He didn't think of himself as being very smart, but he at least realized this was something that had to do with the older boy.

The stoic man gave a short scoff. "He's not the savior or role model you seem to think he is. That boy has done some awful things in his life." Of course, he had yet to confirm if this Law was indeed Trafalgar Law. Although they had been searching for the deserter….traitor in Vergo's book…for the past two years, nobody had actually laid eyes on him. Was the kid still alive? Did he truly survive the Amber Lead Syndrome? With just the name Law and no family name attached, it wasn't a certainty he had found the right guy. However, Vergo knew of Law's medical background as well as the Ope Ope no Mi. So, a skilled doctor in his teens named Law…that seemed like too much of a fit for it to be anyone else.

"You're wrong," Penguin said, pulling Vergo out of his thoughts. Law had shown him more kindness and care than anyone else in his life. More than his master. More than the people at his master's home. More than the caretakers at the orphanage. "I won't believe you."

"What you do or don't believe has no relevance on anything," the false Marine said, completely disinterested. "Just sit quietly and wait for fate to deal you your card. Time's almost up."

* * *

Bepo paced back and forth as he bit his claws. It was getting close to noon. "Where is he?!"

Just then, Law returned, dropping down to his hands and knees, thoroughly exhausted.

"Law!" Bepo exclaimed, slightly relieved. "What happened? Where'd you go?!"

The dark-haired teen panted, trying to catch his breath. "I got back-up." Tiredly, he pointed down the path along the coastline.

Turning to see, Bepo caught sight of a group of Marines coming their way at full speed.

* * *

Though standing further away, the approaching servicemen didn't escape Vergo's notice either. If they saw him with a child hostage, it wouldn't be something he could easily explain.

"Looks like you're not that important to him after all, kid." He swiftly used his bamboo stick to push Penguin into the water before the boy could even respond. Then he began to leisurely stroll his way back to shore.

* * *

Bepo panicked when he saw Penguin splash into the water. He was about to rush out there when Law held him back.

"Wait, Bepo! Not yet!" Law knew Vergo wouldn't want to blow his cover with the Marines, so he ran all the way down to Pier 1 and paid some kid to tell them a bogus story to get them to rush over to Pier 66. It was still a risky move, because he had figured Vergo would most likely push Penguin into the water to get rid of evidence. However, it was the only idea he could think of that even had any chance of success. He was antsy to run out there himself, but he had to wait until Vego joined up with those Marines to be sure the guy can't try anything funny. He narrowed his eyes, feeling impatient as he watched the Marines run out along the pier. _Hurry up!_

Their window of opening to save Penguin's life was quickly shrinking.

* * *

The squad came to a stop when they finally met up with one of their own. "Vergo-san!" One of them said. "Are you all right?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the man replied with a slightly bemused tone as he looked at the group. "What's the problem?"

"Some kid came by in a panic and said a Marine was being surrounded by a group of pirates here at this end of the port, so we rushed over to provide back-up," said the squad leader. "Did you take care of them?"

Vergo chuckled good-naturedly. "Are you sure you weren't being pranked? I didn't see any action here."

It took a moment for the squad leader to process that. "Damn it!" he said with a shake of his head. "Kids these days." Then he looked around the empty pier. "What're you doing out here all by yourself anyway?"

Vergo shrugged. "Just taking a quiet walk before we have to head out again."

"Yes," the Marine said, understanding that feeling. "Suppose we better head back before they leave without us."

"If we must," Vergo agreed, a bit of reluctance in his voice.

Once again continuing to walk down the pier, the undercover pirate spotted a tall, lean teenager with short, unruly dark hair running towards them at breakneck speed. As they passed by each other, the youth turned and made eye contact with him, glaring at him with intense fierceness.

At that moment, Vergo knew with certainty the identity of the teen. He couldn't help but smirk. It was well played on the boy's part. It was also amusing how the pathetic and fearful eyes that he remembered from two years ago now had the ability to look at him with such unadulterated hatred.

* * *

Law dropped to his knees as he looked over the edge of the planks. "Bepo!"

"On it, Captain!" Bepo, who was right on Law's heels, exclaimed as he dived into the water.

Unable to do anything, Law waited as his heart beat frantically.

It seemed like ages before Bepo finally resurfaced with Penguin. Law quickly reached out and yanked the boy up onto the pier. Without second though, he activated his Room. He didn't care that he was out in the open; he was going to do this _now_. Pulling his switchblade from his back pocket, he performed Amputate, cutting Penguin in half, right across his chest. He'd Amputated limbs and extremities before, but this was the first time he actually cut something as massive as a human torso, and he felt the resistance. "I need a longer knife!" he muttered under his breath.

He could see Bepo in his peripheral vision climbing up on deck and freaking out about Penguin being cut in two and floating about, but Law didn't have time to explain. He immediately worked on coaxing the water out of Penguin's now sliced-open lungs. Once he determined that the task was complete, he put Penguin back together and canceled his Room.

"Is he going to be ok?!" Bepo asked, frantically untying the ropes around the unconscious boy's wrists.

Penguin was unresponsive. Law placed an ear to the boy's chest and heard no heartbeat. "Damn it!" He began administering CPR, alternately providing chest compressions and breathing into the boy's mouth. After multiple rotations with Penguin remaining unresponsive, Law knew this wasn't going to work. If they were back at the clinic then…maybe there'd be a chance. But out here with no medical equipment at his disposal, there wasn't anything more he could do.

Death was approaching.

Law sat on his heels and bowed his head, defeated. This was his fault.

He couldn't save this life, but…perhaps there was another debt he could clear. "Bepo," Law began quietly. "…do you want a new body?"

The white bear, who was crying as he tried to work the knots around Penguin's ankles, wasn't sure if he heard right. "…what?"

Law closed his eyes. "I can't…I can't save him," he admitted. "But I can make you human again…if we make the switch in time."

Bepo became nauseous at the mere suggestion. Then he got angry and smacked Law hard with his paw, hard enough to make the teen fall back. "What're you talking about?! Penguin's our friend!" he raged. "You're the smartest person I know, and you have the Ope Ope no Mi! You're supposed to be able to work miracles! So, get off your butt and work a miracle!"

Law wiped blood from the corner of his lip with his thumb, scoffing at himself. A miracle? It wasn't anything so grand. All he really needed was a defibrillator, and his was back at the clinic. It wasn't like he could just become a defibrillator simply because he'd eaten the Ope Ope no Mi…

The Devil Fruit user suddenly looked up with an epiphany. Maybe he could be. Ever since he'd eaten the Ope Ope no Mi, he'd always sensed a strange tingling that felt like it was just under his skin. Static shocks occurred more frequently than he'd like. So, maybe he _could_ become a defibrillator!

Abruptly jumping back into action, he got on his knees and hovered over Penguin, reactivating his Room. Placing his fists against the boy's chest, he held his thumbs out to the side, pointing towards each other, as he imagined an electrical charge running between his thumbs. He could feel the energy circulating through his body…the same energy he'd felt since consuming the Ope Ope no Mi.

Bepo gasped as he saw electricity spark between Law's thumbs. He had no idea what the teen had in mind, but whatever it was, he hoped it would work.

Law gritted his teeth. Penguin's system had gone into shock. What he needed now was a…

"Countershock!"

Penguin's body arched up in response. His eyes shot open as he took in a huge gulp of air. His body fell back as he began coughing and gasping for more air.

"Penguin!" Bepo called out with a relieved smile. "You're alive!"

As the bear moved in to help Penguin, Law dropped onto the planks in relief, drained now that the danger was over and the adrenaline had run its course. Perhaps Bepo was right. This was something of a miracle that he never would've thought possible. He should have a little more faith in himself as well as the gift Corazon had bestowed upon him.

* * *

Vergo locked the door to his private quarters on the ship before making the call on his Den Den Mushi. As soon as the line connected, he spoke. "I've found our boy…the little runaway. And he has the powers." Till now, they only had Corazon's words to go on that Law had eaten the Ope Ope no Mi. Today, however, he saw proof when he caught sight of Law using it on the pier.

There was a long stretch of silence before the man on the other end responded with an amused low laugh. "So, tell me about him," Doflamingo finally said.

"It seems he's grown quite a bit. Still has no respect though." After all, the boy didn't come greet him properly as he was told to do. "I'll give you a detailed report later."

"I'll have someone follow up on it."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to take him with me," Vergo apologized, "not without jeopardizing my current mission."

The leader of the Donquixote Family gave a dark chuckle. "Don't worry about it. He and I will reunite soon enough." With that said, the line went dead.

* * *

Law exited the bathroom after his shower with a towel hanging around his neck. Bepo was already curled up on his bed, facing away from him. It was late, and they'd had a long day.

"Who was that man?" the white bear asked, his voice quiet.

"He's a pirate who's infiltrated the Marines as a spy," Law replied, tired and subdued. "My enemy."

"…We're leaving again, aren't we?"

Law gave pause at the question. "Yeah… Tomorrow." Coming face to face with Vergo…this changed his situation.

"I'm going to miss Penguin," Bepo divulged sadly.

"I know." Penguin was the first friend Bepo's found since becoming a bear…and he'd offered to put Bepo in Penguin's body. He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. How messed up would _that_ have been? He plopped himself down on the edge of Bepo's bed. "I'm sorry…I'll try to do better."

"Law…promise me you'll never use that technique again."

The teen blinked, a bit surprised. "Don't you want to be human again?"

Bepo frowned. He didn't want to be this, but he didn't want to wish his condition on anyone else either. He couldn't stand the idea of anyone having to be like this because of him. And he wasn't sure he could live with himself after taking someone else's body, even if that person was about to die. "…I have you," he finally said somberly in way of answer. He considered himself lucky to be alive, and he wouldn't be if not for Law. Law accepted and looked after him like he said he would. If someone else switched places with him, he wasn't sure they'd be as lucky.

Law was saddened. Bepo was a pure heart, so much better than himself, and he deserved better. However, Law would respect his companion's wish. "Yeah…all right."

Bepo turned and moved closer to Law, laying his head on the teen's lap. In response, Law petted his head, rubbing his fur in comfort.

* * *

The next day, Penguin raced along the coast, looking down every pier until he finally spotted the aspiring doctor and his bear on Pier 53. Law was on the pier tossing bags onto a small fisherman's boat where Bepo was catching the bags.

Penguin ran out. "Law!" Then he tripped, fell on his face, got back on his feet, and kept running until he finally reached the boat.

Law spared the younger boy a glance, immediately picking up on the extra bruises the kid was sporting on top of the ones he got from Vergo. Then he remembered how Penguin hadn't gone home for an entire day when he was kidnapped. His master probably didn't take too kindly to that. Again: his fault.

"The nurse told me you quit, and you're leaving the island," Penguin began, all out of breath. "Why?"

"If you can't put two and two together, I can't help you," Law drawled as he continued his task.

"Are you running because of that jerk?" That guy was a Marine. So, did that mean Law was some sort of criminal? Penguin stared at his feet. "…He said you've done awful things," he muttered timidly.

Law gave Penguin a steady and serious look. "He wasn't lying."

Bepo frowned with disapproval at that response.

Penguin was taken aback that Law didn't even try to deny the claim. He would've believed it if he'd just say it wasn't so. What did this mean? He felt confused and uncertain. "But you saved my life," he retorted weakly. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"You wouldn't have drowned if it weren't for me," Law argued, matter-of-fact. "Did you think about that?"

The younger boy lowered his head wordlessly.

Law took a small bottle out of his backpack before slinging the bag over his shoulder. He went over to Penguin and placed the bottle in the kid's hand. "Apply three times daily," he instructed blandly. Then he boarded the ship.

Penguin looked at the bottle in his hand. Yes… _this_ was the Law that he knew and had known for weeks, no matter what anybody says. He was kind, even though he tried hard to make others believe that he wasn't. The older boy was good to him, even though he'd keep telling him to go away. He never hurt him, even though he'd spilt and broken a couple of…actually, many…things at the clinic. All the teen ever did was issue empty threats of disembowelment, eye removal, liver dissection, and the like. Penguin's life had been pretty dark and dreary before meeting Law and Bepo. And now, it looked like the glimpse of light he'd been shown in recent days, however little, was about to flicker out.

Penguin looked up, moving to the side of the boat. "Take me with you!" he called out, his tone desperate.

Law turned and looked at Penguin with disbelief.

"Take me with you!" Penguin repeated, even louder this time.

The teen scowled. "Are you some kind of idiot?!" he asked incredulously. "This isn't a game, kid. That man isn't the only enemy I have. If you stick with me, things could really get bad for you!"

"But it could be good, too, right?" the boy retorted. If he stayed here, he _knew_ things would be bad for sure. "I'll take my chances!"

Law was momentarily speechless. "…I can't believe this is happening," he whispered under his breath.

"I like him, Law," Bepo put in from beside him.

Penguin began hopping on his toes, feeling anxious as the boat was beginning to move. "Look, I can cook, I can clean," he pleaded as he walked along the pier, keeping pace with the boat. "I'll bathe Bepo!"

"I don't need to be bathed, stupid!" Bepo hollered indignantly.

Law rubbed his temples.

"I'll do the laundry!" Penguin said as he tripped then immediately scrambled up again. "I'll buy the groceries! I'll do everything! I mean…I might break some of your dishes…and maybe put a few holes in your underwear…or buy the wrong thing from time to time…but, well…um…" He wasn't making a very good case for himself.

Law rolled his eyes. "Get on."

Penguin perked up. "Huh?"

"Hurry it up before I change my mind!" Law said with agitation.

Penguin grinned excitedly. However, he had finally reached the end of the pier and could no longer follow the boat. He pulled on his cap and hopped on his toes. "No, wait! Come back, come back, come back!"

"Room…Shambles."

Suddenly, Penguin found himself transported onto the deck of the boat. His eyes grew wide. "How did…?"

Law folded his arms with furrowed brows. "If I have to keep doing everything for you, I swear I'll dissect your spleen."

"You did that with your magic?" Penguin asked with sparkling eyes. "That's sooooooo cool!"

At this point, the fisherman stepped out onto the deck. "Hey, you said there were just two of you, kid! Three's gonna cost you more!"

"You'll get it," Law replied, shooting the man a glare.

The fisherman backed up a step, a bit hesitant. "I better." Then he walked away.

Bepo grinned and raised his arms. "Now it's going to be the three of us together!" He couldn't be happier.

Penguin also raised his arms and cheered. He'd never felt more free in his entire life. He joined hands with Bepo and danced in celebration.

Law went to the bow and stared out at the waters, wondering if he did the right thing taking Penguin with him. Sure, he might have saved the kid from his abusers, but he was also exposing him to potentially much greater risks. He made the boy his responsibility now, but would he be able to protect him? And was it the right move for himself? In the beginning, he never had any intentions of joining up with anybody. When he took Bepo with him, it had been unplanned and unavoidable. It was tough and a bit odd at first, but things smoothed out as time went on and he could admit, if only to himself, that he was glad to have Bepo by his side. Now…he'd just have to rework things in his head to accommodate one more. "Penguin."

The boy paused at the sound of his name. "Yes?" He was pretty certain that this was the first time Law called him by name.

"It won't happen again."

While Bepo smiled, Penguin cocked his head, perplexed. "Huh?"

Law turned and looked at Penguin with a slightly agitated scowl. "What happened yesterday…I won't let it happen again."

Penguin blinked. It was an apology and a promise. He could see it in Law's eyes; he meant what he said. The boy simply nodded as he brushed the tears from his eyes with a grin, deciding now was a good time to take a page out of Bepo's book. "Aye aye, Captain!"

* * *

A/N: And that is how Law has an encounter with Vergo without having an encounter with Vergo. =P

Bepo is like Law's Jiminy Cricket. When Law goes off track, Bepo will pull him back. Having Bepo around is good for Law. It's helping him grow as a person. Law is kind of mature for his age, but after having so much shit happen to him, it kinda makes sense. Also, he kinda needs to be smart and level-headed or he wouldn't survive. That's how I'm looking at it anyway.

If you hire Law, you automatically get extra help in the form of Bepo. It's a pretty good deal.

Law always had it in the back of his mind that, if an opportunity arises, he would switch Bepo out of the bear's body. But Bepo is a sweetheart and doesn't want to body snatch. So, that explains why he remained the cuddly looking bear we know and love.

And, just for kicks, here's another omake…

* * *

 **Omake:**

(In an alternate universe, where Vergo was smarter)

Instead of kidnapping Penguin, Vergo simply returned to the clinic early next morning (wearing a fake mustache and something other than his Marine uniform) and waited on the roof for Law to show up. When that happened, he jumped down from the roof with his bamboo stick at the ready and knocked the boy out cold…followed by the weird bear.

Leaving the bear in the street, he dragged the teen away somewhere, tied him up, gagged him, and sealed him inside a crate.

Then he went back to his quarters on the Marine ship and made a call to Doflamingo to report the success of Law's capture, telling him where he could send some men to pick up the package.

Thus, the Heart Pirates never came to be.

The end.

* * *

A/N: Smarter Vergo kinda killed the story, so I went with the not-as-realistic but more dramatic version. XD

Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated! Let me know in the comments if you read the omake. I'm always curious about how many people read through the entire thing and how many stop as soon as they see "A/N". Heh.


	3. Chapter 3: Part I

Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro.

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Part I**

(One year later. Law – Age 16, Bepo – Age 12, Penguin – Age 13)

Sitting at his favorite café, in his usual booth, the youth was minding his own business, studying his medical textbooks when a conversation from the booth behind him caught his attention.

"Hey, did you guys hear? That miracle traveling doctor is back on the island!"

"Oh, you mean that Dr. Death, right?"

"I thought it was Morbid Surgeon…"

"What? What's with the creepy names?"

"Well, rumor has it that he uses…unconventional methods. He _kills_ his patients first…then raises them from the _dead_!"

"Uh…I was told his name's Dr. White Bear."

"What the hell? That sounds ridiculous!"

"It's cuz he travels with a giant white bear!"

"Have any of you even _seen_ this guy?"

"No, but they say he's a creepy looking old guy."

"Really? I heard he was relatively young and cute."

"Does he charge a fortune?"

"I heard it depends on his mood. He might make you fork over every last beri you have, or he might just ask you to buy him a drink or something."

"But if you can't pay…oh, boy. He'll cut out your organs and stick 'em in display jars!"

"What? That's bullshit, right?"

"Dunno. That's just what they say."

"Sounds eccentric."

"I guess."

At this point, the youth turned around and looked over the rim of his sunglasses with a smirk. "So…does anyone know where I might find this miracle creepy cute eccentric doctor?"

"Shachi!" one of the patrons at the table, a middle-aged gentleman, greeted with a smile. "Well, I guess I'm not surprised you're interested."

"How are your studies going?" the woman sitting beside him inquired. "Exams coming up?"

Shachi shrugged. "It's going well. Passing shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, if you're looking for the doctor," another chimed in, an old man this time, "you should ask ol' Wagner. Apparently, he received treatment just yesterday, and now he can see out of both eyes again."

"Hm. I see," Shachi said, trying to recall where Wagner lived. "Well, thanks! Enjoy the rest of your meal!" He packed up his books, paid at the cashier, and left in a hurry.

* * *

The day started off pretty much like every other day for Law, Bepo, and Penguin. They went down to the beach where Bepo and Penguin swam laps while Law read on the beach. Today's subject: genetic disorders. Then all three of them sparred on the beach, Bepo being the one in charge of passing his martial arts knowledge on to Penguin. Law had thought it important to train Penguin up and keep all three of them in shape. They were always on the run after all. And they needed to become stronger or his plans would never pan out.

After their morning routine, they had breakfast and were now strolling leisurely along the street. Bepo was studying his navigation book as he walked while Law lightly tapped his sword against his shoulder, his eyes vigilant despite his relaxed demeanor. Penguin was holding a huge drink in his hands, sucking miserably on the straw.

"Law…" the younger teen practically whined. "How much longer do I have to keep drinking the Penguin Shake?"

"Until you start looking your age," the older teen replied, unperturbed.

Having been malnourished his entire life, Penguin was small for his age. So, Law was making him drink this super nutritious drink, dubbed the Penguin Shake by Penguin himself, that had a slew of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and _fish_ all blended together every morning for breakfast. Penguin appreciated the effort, he really did, but… "It tastes terrrrrribleeee…"

"I'm a doctor, not a chef," Law replied, unconcerned. "Deal with it."

Penguin pouted. "We need a chef friend."

" _You're_ supposed to be the chef friend," Bepo reminded.

Penguin grumbled. He _did_ say, very loudly, that he'd do all the cooking. Well, it wasn't that he didn't try to come through on that promise. He just hadn't been all that successful, yet. His meals had been coming out burnt seventy percent of the time and undercooked the remaining thirty percent of the time. He was best at making sandwiches, but Law wouldn't eat it. So, what was he supposed to do?

"Be grateful I'm not making you drink it three meals a day," Law added, prompting Penguin to heave a dramatic sigh.

"Why are we back on this island, Law?" Bepo asked. "Weren't we here a few months ago?" They'd never doubled back before, so he was curious. Ever since their encounter with Vergo, Law had decided that it was no longer safe to stay in one place for too long, so he had stopped working at clinics. He had surpassed what knowledge the doctors had to offer anyway, so there was no benefit there. They'd started just traveling from island to island, treating people along the way. It seemed like word of Law's skills was slowly spreading, and he was starting to make a name for himself.

Law smirked. "We're here to collect on a payment." Though they might be a bit early and would have to hang around for a week or so.

Before long, the trio came upon a commotion on the streets: a fight in the middle of the town square.

The young doctor narrowed his eyes. "There's something you don't see every day."

"Wow…" Bepo said with awe. "Is that a…fishman? I've never seen a fishman before."

"I'm sure the fishman's probably never seen a talking bear before either," Penguin noted.

Bepo bowed his head. "Sorry…"

"Looks promising," Law said, his smirk returning, his eyes never leaving the fight. "Let's go."

They observed the fight from a closer distance while other bystanders stayed further away. The fishman, a hammerhead shark fishman, was engaged in a swordfight with a burly man. Coming into this skirmish late, the trio had no idea what the dispute was about. It was still a good show, though it was obvious the fishman was the superior swordsman, and the blade he held was magnificent.

"The fishman's gonna win," Penguin said, already calling the match.

Law tapped his sword against his shoulder. "Maybe. But he's not walking away from this."

Penguin quirked a brow. "What? But the other guy sucks. I'm rooting for fish guy."

Eventually, the fishman did win, impaling his opponent in the gut. However, he collapsed to the ground shortly after, a surprised expression on his features.

As bystanders began to disperse, not wanting to get involved, Law approached at a languid pace and stood over the fishman. "You suffered no major wounds, but you're feeling dizzy, experiencing shortness of breath, and there's a constriction in your chest. Do you know why?"

The fishman looked wordlessly up at the youth.

Law crouched beside the downed warrior and held up his arm that was sporting a minor sword wound. "His blade's covered with a fast acting poison," he divulged in an easy tone. Then he looked over his shoulder at the unconscious burly man. "But it looks like you got him before the poison got to you."

The fishman frowned. "Who are you?" he asked between labored breaths.

Law ignored his question. "You have about twenty minutes to live. I'm a doctor. I can save you."

"Why me and not him?" He was very aware of and had experienced firsthand the prejudice against his kind.

"I don't like him," Law said simply, a smirk adorning his features. "And you can give me something I want."

The fishman eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

The youth's smirk widened to a grin. "Your blade…and the opportunity to operate on a fishman."

Realization hit as the fishman looked upon Law with more scrutiny. "Are you him? Dr. White Bear?"

Penguin snickered with amusement. "I love that name. It's the best!"

Bepo blushed. "Sorry…"

Law frowned. Out of all the crazy names people had come up with for him, THAT was by far the worst. "I'm the one standing between you and death. So, do you agree to my terms…or not?"

Seeing no other choice but to take a leap of faith, the fishman nodded before passing out.

Law got back to his feet. "Bepo."

The white bear picked the fishman up and carried him over his shoulder.

Penguin grabbed the warrior's sword and sheath. "Man, this thing is long…" he mumbled as he tried to figure out how to carry it, eventually deciding on holding it over his head with raised arms.

The young doctor led the way, his easy grin back on his face. "This should be fun."

At the edge of the town square, Shachi watched them leave with disbelief. The highly praised miracle creepy cute eccentric doctor was just a kid around his age?! That can't be right. With a determined frown, he followed.

* * *

Bepo and Penguin sat on the couch with stunned expressions on their faces, Bepo perhaps even looking a bit green, as they observed the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi in action.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing this…" Penguin whispered as he looked on with morbid fascination, unable to avert his eyes.

"Law, how long is this going to take?" Bepo asked, getting a bit nauseous.

Penguin jabbed the bear in the side with his elbow. "Don't bother him. He's in his happy place."

They were currently in their hotel room, which they were also using as a makeshift operating room. As soon as they came back, Bepo and Penguin cleaned up the area, closed all of the curtains, and put a clean sheet on the bed before laying the unconscious fishman on it. Then they remained on standby while Law called up his Room and began his work.

The fishman was now literally in pieces, floating in gravity-defying chunks within the translucent blue dome. Sure, the boys had seen Law cut people up before, but dissected to this level where internal organs were all taken out and floating independently? This was definitely the first time. And Law was sporting that gleam in his eyes like a child at a candy store, mumbling comments to himself from time to time about the fascination of the gills, the strange texture of the webbed hands, how certain things were a lot more like humans than he had originally thought, and so on. It was a good thing they knew him so well. To anyone else, he would probably look like a deranged maniac in need of being locked up somewhere.

"I'm pretty sure this wasn't what the guy signed up for," Penguin said quietly, thinking out loud. Sure, Law would often do more than necessary during his operations to satisfy his own curiosity, but this was overkill.

Law heard the comment and huffed a breath of amusement. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him." The opportunity to study the fishman anatomy was something he simply couldn't pass up on. "I promised to save his life, and I will. Actually…I already did." He pointed to a vial on the bedside table that was filled with a dark purplish liquid.

Penguin quirked a brow. "Can you even put him back together?"

"It's just a living, breathing, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle," Law replied distractedly as he scribbled down some notes. "Nothing complicated." He could probably do it in his sleep.

Penguin and Bepo shared a glance. That didn't sound easy to them, but at least Law seemed confident.

* * *

On the outside wall of the hotel, Shachi was busy climbing up a pipe. He had seen the giant white bear closing the curtains to a window on the third floor and was currently making his way up there. He'd find out the truth about this doctor. Was he really as great as they say? Or was he a fake? He'd know soon enough.

Finally reaching his destination, the redhead grabbed onto the windowsill and hung from there. Then he hefted himself up, balancing his weight with his belly on the sill. Pulling back the curtains with as much stealth as possible, he peeked in.

What he saw was something beyond his wildest imagination: a strange dome with pieces of the fishman floating around the supposed doctor who had a creepy look in his eyes. The only reason he could even tell it was the fishman was because the floating head was recognizable…even though one eyeball was dangling out of its socket.

Shocked, Shachi reacted the only way he knew how. He screamed in horror at the top of his lungs then promptly fainted, foaming at the mouth.

The scream caught the trio's attention. Bepo and Penguin both jumped up, surprised to find a person draped over the windowsill behind them.

"Where did _he_ come from?!" Bepo exclaimed. Wearing sunglasses and a cap, the intruder looked a bit suspicious. Was he some kind of thief?

"Catch him!" Law said.

"What, you mean like tie him up?" Penguin asked.

"Before he falls," Law deadpanned.

"Oh, right. Got it!" Penguin replied, only now noticing that the guy was indeed slowly slipping over the windowsill. He and Bepo pulled on the guy's clothes until he dropped into a heap on the floor.

"What should we do with him?" Bepo asked.

Law gave Shachi a disinterested glance. "Leave him." He supposed it was time to wrap up his session.

* * *

When the fishman woke, he actually felt better than he did before the fight. It was unbelievable, and he couldn't be happier. Before taking his leave, he held out his long sword, a nodachi, to Law. "As promised." Really, he knew that these kids could have just taken his blade and left him without doing anything for him if they wanted to. The fact that they didn't do that gave him some idea what kind of people they were.

"Does it have a name?" Law inquired.

"Kikoku."

The teen raised a brow with a smirk. "Demon Howl? I like it." He took the blade and furrowed his brows at the sensation he was getting from it.

The fishman, who had been watching for the boy's reaction, explained. "It's a cursed blade." It was only fair to warn him.

Law studied the blade, unsheathing it partly as he contemplated. Perhaps that was why it seemed like the sword was calling out to him during the fight. He grinned. "Sounds perfect."

The fishman gave a hearty laugh. He shouldn't have worried. "That fearlessness will help you tame the blade."

Penguin stared at the weapon with his mouth slightly ajar. Law had upgraded his weapon a couple of times already, seemingly constantly in search of a longer sword, but… "It's taller than you are, Law…"

The new owner of the cursed blade, however, wasn't worried. "Bepo. My sword." When the bear tossed the weapon to Law, he held it out to the fishman. "Here. Take mine. I don't need it anymore."

The fishman studied the blade. "This doesn't look like it's just any blade either."

Law shrugged. "It was a payment from a previous…well-to-do patient."

The fishman smiled with a shake of his head, now understanding how this boy's been able to get by in the world.

At that moment, Shachi finally came to and jumped to his feet. "Murderer!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Law. "You're not a doctor! You're a mur—"

The redhead stopped when he caught sight of the fishman, whole and quite lively, standing beside Law, both looking at him like _he_ was the crazy one in the room. _What? Does this mean the rumors are true? He really_ _ **does**_ _kill people then raise them from the dead?! That's impossible!_ He needed to sit down, so he went and plopped himself down on the couch in a daze.

Bepo and Penguin just shrugged at each other.

"Is he all right?" the fishman asked with slight concern.

"I'm sure he'll live," Law drawled.

The fishman gave Law a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving my life, Dr. Whi—"

Law held up a hand with a slightly annoyed frown before he could finish. "Just Law is fine."

The fishman blinked with an amused look. "A name I shall never forget." With that, he left, leaving one other outsider in the room.

Law turned his attention to Shachi with folded arms, sizing him up. "What're you doing here, punk? You're trespassing."

Said trespasser bolted up to his feet, his wits returning. "If I hadn't climbed in through that window, the world would never know the truth!" he defended heatedly, once again pointing a finger at Law. "You! Surgeon of the Undead! You're not a _real_ doctor at all, are you?! You use some kind of voodoo, or…or…hocus pocus! I know what I saw, and that _wasn't_ a medical procedure! Was it even sanitary? You're operating in a _hotel room_ , for crying out loud! There're germs everywhere! You probably exposed that poor guy to a bazillion infectious diseases just now!"

After that long tirade, all Law said was a calm, "I don't owe you any explanation."

That only fired up Shachi even more. He started stomping towards the creep, but the giant bear stepped in front of him, blocking his way. Shachi looked up and gulped before looking past his obstacle to the cocky dark-haired teen. "What do you mean you don't owe me an explanation? You owe the public an explanation! You can't just pass off voodoo as medical science! That's lying, and you're a fraud!"

Penguin frowned. "Hey, you take that back!"

"Penguin," Law warned, and the younger teen backed down. The last thing he needed was for these two idiots to get into a fight. It wasn't even worth the trouble. People could think whatever they want of him. He didn't particularly care. "I don't have the time and patience to deal with you right now," he said, turning his attention back to Shachi. "So, if you won't remove yourself from our room, then Bepo here will show you the way out." He smirked, and Bepo growled for effect.

Shachi took a step back. After a moment's deliberation, he grudgingly headed for the door. "Fine! But this isn't over!" As he stepped into the hallway, he grumbled under his breath. "What a creep! He's definitely not it!"

* * *

Shachi stepped through the fancy wrought iron front gates, marched past the beautiful garden, and stomped up the polished stone steps to the massive front doors of the elegant mansion he called home. The doors opened upon his arrival without him having to knock, and an old butler and a maid were there waiting to greet him.

"How was your day, Master Shachi?" the butler inquired as the maid took the youth's coat and books.

"It was going great," the redhead began. "Then I met a stuck-up creep." He heaved a breath to rid the day's unpleasant experience from his mind. "Where's Shiira?"

"In her room," the butler replied dutifully.

"Thanks, Azarashi!" Shachi replied, his usual smile back on his face now as he went up the stairs to the second floor to his sister's bedroom door. After knocking, he entered. "Shiira?"

A little girl with red pigtails looked up from her coloring book with a wide grin. "Sha-chan!" She ran over to give him a hug.

"Anything exciting happen today?" Shachi asked.

Shiira pouted. "Azarashi won't let me go outside again! I was stuck here all day! I'm so bored!"

Shachi smiled indulgingly. "Tell you what. How about I take you to the park tomorrow? The weather's supposed to be good."

"Really?!" the little girl exclaimed hopefully.

"Only if you're good."

"I'm always good!" she said with a bright smile, prompting her brother to ruffle her bangs. "When are mom and dad coming home?"

"Uh…it might be another week or two," the teen replied.

"Are they gonna bring back another doctor?"

"Of course. That's why they went on the trip in the first place."

"I'm tired of seeing new doctors," Shiira whined. "Can't I just wait till you get out of school? I want Sha-chan to be my doctor!" She folded her arms with another pout.

Shachi melted on the inside. She was just too damn adorable. He kissed her forehead with a smile. "Well, since I have some time now, I can play with you until dinner."

The girl perked up. "Really? Yay!"

"Sure. What do you wanna play?"

"Tea party!" she cheered.

He wilted. "Ugh…really?"

"Yes!"

Shachi sighed with resignation. "Fine."

* * *

(The next day)

It was a sunny day, and the trio decided to take it easy. Bepo was sprawled on his stomach with his arms under his head, resting under the shades of a tree. Law was leaning against Bepo's side, reading another book.

Bepo glanced at the book with curiosity. "Law, why did you start reading about submarines?" He had noticed the teen reading up on this subject in recent days. "Are you getting bored of medicine?"

Law smirked. "It's good to switch things up every now and then." As if reminded, he pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to Bepo. "Here. This is for you."

The bear gasped with excitement when he saw what it was. "A log pose!"

"We'll need it at some point."

Bepo studied the item with interest. "How does it work?"

"Figure it out," Law said with an easygoing tone, returning to his reading.

Then there was rustling and a yelp from the branches above where Penguin was attempting to climb the tree in order to pick apples. "Law… Why can't you just Shambles some apples down?" he complained. It would've been so much easier.

Flipping another page, the Ope Ope no Mi user was the picture of carefree relaxation. "You're the one who wants them, so you should get them."

"Aw, come on, Law," the younger teen pleaded. "Just this one time?"

Law was unmoved. "Shut it or I'll Shambles your ass to the top of a roof," he threatened calmly.

"Will that be just my ass or my ass and the rest of my body, too?" Penguin asked with a mischievous grin. Because with Law, it was possible either way.

Law closed his book with a sigh and got to his feet, looking up to check on Penguin's progress. "Are you done, yet?"

"No," Penguin said flatly. "Why do you think I'm asking you for help?"

A frown found its way to Law's face when he saw that Penguin wasn't even anywhere near an apple. At this rate, they might end up being here all day. But he was sticking by his words. He can't have Penguin relying on his powers for trivial things. Besides, the kid wasn't nearly as clumsy as he used to be. His problem reduced by half simply by getting him fitting clothes.

Then a child's voice brought Law out of his reverie. "You can do it! You're almost there!"

Law looked down to find a little girl with pigtails and a sundress standing beside him, also watching Penguin's progress with glee.

"You really think so?" the boy in the tree asked, flashing a wide grin.

"Mm-hmm," the girl nodded. "Go for it!"

That fired Penguin up, and he continued the climb. He seemed to be doing better now that he had a personal cheerleader.

When he nearly fell off the branch, the girl gasped with her hands to her cheeks. "Hang on! Don't fall!" Then when he finally got his prize, she clapped and cheered. "Yay! You did it!"

"Yes! I am the champ!" Penguin grinned as he rubbed the apple on his sleeve and took a bite.

The girl, her hands clasped together, her eyes still on Penguin, quietly commented to herself, "That apple sure looks yummy…"

Law quirked a brow. Then he unsheathed his nodachi and cut an apple down with one swift swing, wordlessly and expressionlessly holding it out to her.

She gasped with a slight blush and a delighted smile as she accepted the apple. "Thank you, Onii-chan!"

"Heyyyyy," Penguin called down from above. "That's not fair!"

Law ignored the complaint. "Are you done now?"

"No, I'm gonna get one for Bepo and one for later. You want one, Law?"

Before Law could answer, he felt something tugging on his pants. When he looked down, the girl was pulling on his jeans with one hand and pointing at the sleeping Bepo with the other. "Onii-chan, Onii-chan…is that your bear?!" she asked with wonderment.

"No," Law replied straightforwardly. "Bepo's my friend."

By now, the girl practically had stars in her eyes. "Mr. Bear's your friend?! Can I…can I touch him? Can I play with him?" She was bouncing on her heels.

Law raised a brow. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

"Me? Um…" She grew hesitant and bit her lip, her hand tugging lightly on his jeans again as her eyes stared longingly at the white bear.

Law twisted his lips. That was Little Girl Speak for 'can you do it for me?' Once upon a time, he used to be at the receiving end of that gesture on a fairly regular basis, so he knew it well. In the back of his mind, he wondered if it made him a sucker for caving into her silent request. "Bepo… Bepo!"

Startled, Bepo suddenly sat up, causing the girl to hide behind Law with an "eep," hugging his leg. The bear rubbed his eyes groggily. "What? What's going on?"

The child peeked out with another gasp, whispering, "He can talk…"

Law wasn't sure if he should laugh or shake his head. He settled on blandly telling Bepo, "I think you have a fan."

Bepo blinked at the little girl who shyly waved back at him.

At that moment, an angry and worried-looking redhead approached. "Shiira!" Shachi pulled his sister away from Law, glaring at him over the rim of his sunglasses.

"Sha-chan!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, completely unaware of the animosity in the air. "This Onii-chan has a bear friend!"

"You shouldn't go touching strange bears, Shiira," Shachi reprimanded. "And you _definitely_ shouldn't go hugging strange legs!" He turned to Law, finger pointing once again. "You! Dr. Creepster! What are you, like some kind of pedophile wannabe?! Stay away from my sister!" He tugged on the girl's hand. "Come on, Shiira, we're going home."

Shiira whined as they began walking away. "Aww…but I wanted to play with Mr. Bear!"

"Where did you go?" Shachi asked with exasperation. "I was looking everywhere for you!"

"Nowhere," she began. "There was a cute puppy…then I chased the butterflies…until I saw the squirrels… Oh! And the kids flying kites!"

The older sibling sighed. "And you wonder why Asarashi never lets you outside."

As the brother and sister walked further away, Penguin jumped out of the tree with three apples in his arms. "Wow…that guy _reeeeeeally_ doesn't like you."

Law refrained from rolling his eyes. "Not my problem."

* * *

Law soon realized that what he said was _not_ his problem was quickly becoming a _huge_ problem. Since the day at the park, he had had many more encounters with the punk whose name, he discovered, was Shachi. He was fairly certain that this Shachi was stalking him. Sometimes the guy would be there waiting as he was leaving the hotel in the morning. Other times he'd barge in on them when they were eating at a restaurant. Every time, Shachi would keep challenging him and his medical knowledge, seemingly trying to find ways to discredit him. The redhead would ask questions ranging from whether or not Law knew what caused toenail fungus to whether or not he knew how long the brain can survive without oxygen to whether or not he washed his hands before and after medical check-ups.

Just like what was happening right now.

Law had sent Bepo and Penguin to buy a few items from the market while he went to check out a bookstore. Lo and behold, the punk was there waiting for him with crossed arms as he stepped out. He couldn't help but glower. "More questions?" With his nodachi in one hand, his new book in the other opened to the first page, Law simply walked past Shachi.

The redhead put on a look of determination as he followed. "Do you even have some kind of certificate to prove you're a licensed doctor?" he asked, getting right into it.

Law kept his nose in the book, unconcerned. "If I can get the job done, then what does it matter?"

Shachi was appalled. "So that's a no, then? How's that…?! I mean, did you even get proper schooling?!"

"Quit when I was ten," the dark-haired teen replied, his tone almost flippant.

Shachi scratched his head with frustration, unable to comprehend how any of this was possible. The creep was uncertified, his education was incomplete, and his methods were highly questionable. Yet, more and more people were singing his praises every day. And the kicker was that he was only _one_ year older than himself! Fine, so the guy was able to answer some of his questions…all of his questions…but Shachi wasn't ready to classify him as a genius just yet. There's bound to be something he didn't know, and Shachi would find out what. It was time to switch gears to medical trivia again. "How many hearts does an octopus have?"

"I'm a doctor, not a biologist…or a veterinarian."

Shachi perked up. "Ha! You don't know then, do you?"

"Three."

The redhead cursed under his breath. "Damn it!"

Law smirked. Truthfully, he didn't have to answer any of these questions, but he knew his answers annoyed Shachi, and that translated to entertainment for himself. However, that bit of entertainment wasn't nearly enough to dilute the annoyance of being constantly pestered. It was time to put a stop to it.

"OK, how about this?" Shachi continued.

Law turned around and snapped his book shut with an internal sigh. "So, do you want me to take a look at your sister or not?" he asked apathetically before the other teen could fire off another question. "Because I'm getting tired of this."

Shachi's eyes widened with shock. _He knows?_ Law had only met Shiira briefly, and he was able to tell something was wrong with her?

Just then, a series of loud bangs went off and a couple of bullets went through the book Law was still holding up in his hand, leaving three bullet holes behind and causing Shachi to jump back with a yelp. Both teens directed their attention down the street to find a girl, a teenager just like them, with a cigarette in her mouth and a rifle as an arm, standing there like she meant business.

Shachi rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. A rifle arm? What?

The girl glared. "Law! You're coming with me!"

An amused smirk made its way to Law's features. "Baby 5…" Then he turned and bolted down the street.

"Get back here!" Baby 5 exclaimed before sprinting off after him.

The two disappeared, leaving a speechless Shachi in their wake.

* * *

Shachi made his way home, wondering the entire time who that girl was and why she was chasing Law with dangerous weapons. Was she his ex-girlfriend he had pissed off somehow? Did she seriously shoot a rifle at him? Well, he looked like the kind of creep who would be a terrible boyfriend. Whatever it was, he probably deserved it. That bastard.

When Asarashi opened the front doors for him, Shachi immediately had a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. Standing beside the old butler were Shiira's doctors, all nine of them, and they were all wearing solemn expressions.

"Master Shachi," Asarashi began. He appeared more tired than usual. "I'm afraid Miss Shiira's condition has taken a down turn."

"What?" Shachi breathed, looking to the doctors, expecting an explanation.

The doctors looked at one another before turning to the youth with defeated eyes. "I'm sorry," one of them said. "There's nothing more we can do."

"I've already notified your parents," the old butler informed as delicately as possible. "They're on their way home."

"Damn it!" the redhead cursed, immediately darting up the stairs to his sister's room.

* * *

Law raced down the streets, weaving his way through a bustling market as Baby 5 tried to keep pace.

This certainly wasn't Law's first run-in with the girl who had the powers of the Buki Buki no Mi. It seemed ever since the encounter with Vergo, Doflamingo had decided to sic Baby 5 on him. Some days he'd think it an insult that Doflamingo didn't send someone more powerful, but most of the time, he counted himself lucky. And if he were to be honest with himself, this cat and mouse game they'd been playing was actually kind of fun.

Going up against Baby 5 was different from facing Vergo. It was also a different animal from sparring with Bepo and Penguin. Law and Baby 5 used to be comrades. They were trained by the same people. Now they both had a Devil Fruit power. They were peers who could fight on the same level, and _that_ was exciting.

After leading her through a couple more streets, Law called up his Room and Shambled himself to the entrance of a side alley somewhere behind his pursuer.

She put on the brakes, spotting him before he disappeared into the alley. "I hate it when he does that!" she mumbled to herself as she turned back and followed, only to find the alley was a dead end and there was no one in sight.

"Heads up."

Baby 5 looked up to find Law coming down on her with the hilt of his already unsheathed blade clutched in both hands. She blocked with her left arm, now transformed into a sword. Then she brought up her right arm. Resting her wrist atop her sword arm to steady her movements, she transformed her pointer finger into the barrel of a gun and aimed it at Law's head, firing at point blank with no hesitations. He evaded the kill shot by tilting his head to the side, but the bullet still grazed him, leaving a trail of blood down the side of his cheek. He jumped back, prompting her to cancel her transformations and reach down for the row of throwing knives holstered around her right thigh, throwing them after him. This time, Law deflected with his blade, flicking the projectiles to the side.

"I see you got yourself another new sword," she commented, body still poised to fight.

He grinned. "It's a good time to try it out."

She frowned. "It's too long, you idiot!" That thing was taller than he was!

He simply shrugged. "I'll grow into it." Admittedly, Kikoku's length did make it a bit tricky to wield in a physical battle, but it was perfect for using with his Devil Fruit powers. He still had some height to gain anyway. He was sure that minor issue would work itself out in time.

She eyed his nodachi pensively. It might hinder him a bit, but it was no advantage to her either. Now it would be even harder for her to get into striking distance. Sure, she was a long range fighter for the most part. But sometimes, she just really wanted to get in there and smack that smug grin off his face…

"So, are we going to do this, or did you come here to stare at me all day?" he asked.

…like right now.

Successfully provoked, Baby 5 reached behind her shoulder and pulled out the blade strapped to her back, rushing forth to initiate a straight up swordfight. Law gladly complied. Their attacks were a flurry of motion. At one point, he put a cut on her upper arm. At another, she nicked him across his thigh. Neither paid any attention to their minor injuries. The pair slashed and parried to their hearts' content, and during this short span of time, the world outside of this alley didn't exist. It was almost an unspoken agreement to temporarily suspend the use of their Devil Fruit powers and enjoy a swordfight for what it was.

All that came to a screeching halt when Law made one tiny mistake: swinging his blade a little too widely and embedding it into a water pipe running up the side of a building. Water sprayed out and his weapon was stuck.

Right. Narrow alley. Long sword. He'd have to remember that next time.

Baby 5 smirked. "I told you it was too long!" This was the opening she'd been waiting for. Without wasting any time, she made a swipe at him with her sword, forcing him to let go of his and jump back. Then she advanced until she backed him to the dead end of the alley, following through with a high kick, swinging her leg straight up.

Law leaned back just in time, his head hitting the wall in the process, her foot only missing his chin by a hair. "Room!" He knew better than to think that she was done. This was the Buki Buki no Mi user he was dealing with after all. Whereas a leg made of flesh and blood went up, he knew without even having to look that what would come down over him was sure to be the sharp edge of a blade. "Shambles!"

He evaded the axe that came crashing down, reappearing by his weapon and yanking it out of the pipe. By the time Baby 5 pulled her axe-leg out of the ground and turned around, the tip of Law's nodachi was waiting at her throat.

"Have you considered giving up on this?" Law asked, his expression smug.

She stood up straighter despite her defeat, her posture filled with stubborn defiance. "My orders are to bring you back to the young master."

"It's not going to happen," he replied immediately.

She couldn't help but glare. "I don't get you, Law. Why did you even leave in the first place?" Corazon and Law had never gotten along. Then one day, Corazon just up and took Law away. Then it turned out Corazon was a traitor, but she never understood how Law played into it all.

The ex-Donquixote pirate narrowed his eyes. "That's not your concern."

Baby 5 heaved an exasperated sigh. "The young master's very upset and disappointed," she tried to explain. "You're his favorite." She folded her arms and looked away. "You were always his favorite. You know that. He just wants you to come home."

Law huffed a humorless laugh as he Shambled his scabbard to his hand and sheathed his blade, canceling his Room. "You have no idea why he wants me back. And if you're smart, you'd get out of there, too."

His words made her scowl. "Unlike _some_ people, I won't abandon the one who saved me."

He looked at her and saw conviction. _Foolish girl._ However, instead of commenting on that, he changed the subject. "You caught up to me a lot faster this time. I'm impressed," he said as he nonchalantly plucked the cigarette from her lips and tossed it over his shoulder.

She gave him a frown of annoyance. "Tch! Don't flatter yourself. It's not like capturing you is my only mission. I'm here with Senor Pink to close a deal. Running into you was just a coincidence."

It was Law's turn to scowl. "Senor Pink is here? What deal?"

Baby 5 mirrored his expression. "Why should I tell _you_?"

He tapped his nodachi against his shoulder in thought. Dealing with Baby 5 was one thing. By adding Senor Pink to the equation, suddenly the situation became a whole lot more unfavorable for him. At times like this, he had no choice but to exploit the girl's weakness. "Baby 5, you can't tell anyone you saw me here today."

She furrowed her brows. "What?"

He grasped onto her wrist for emphasis, his expression serious. "I need you to keep this a secret. Can you do that?"

Baby 5 gasped as her eyes widened. She turned around, holding her hand to her chest as her other hand came up to touch her wrist where Law had gasped onto her. _He needs me!_ "A-all right," she stuttered out, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "I'll protect this secret with my life," she declared as she turned back around to face him, only to find that he had already disappeared. "Hey, wait! Law!"

* * *

A/N: Originally, this story's supposed to have just 3 chapters. One chapter per location/new member. But the third one got kinda ridiculously long, so I split it in two.

Since Shachi and Penguin are names of arctic animals (and Bepo basically IS one), I decided to name related characters in the same fashion. I wanted to name Shachi's sister dolphin, since Shachi means killer whale/Orca. But dolphin is Iruka, and when I think Iruka, I think of Naruto's teacher, so that doesn't work for me. Haha! Shiira is the next best thing. It's dolphin fish…mahi-mahi…which, I guess, people would associate more with food, but whatever. Azarashi means seal.

In case anybody's wondering, the reason why Penguin used to wear oversized clothes is because his old master was cheap and figured bigger clothes would last longer before the boy would grow out of it and need new ones. Unfortunately for him, that line of reasoning backfired and actually made Penguin more clumsy, ruining more of his stuff. XD

I'm taking some liberties with Baby 5's weapons and abilities. She's seen carrying different weapons on her person at different times, and she can basically transform her body into any weapon she chooses. So, I think pretty much anything goes, and I'm not going to just stick to what's been seen in the series. More flexibility and variety this way. Some of her attacks can't be used anyway, cuz they don't work unless there's somebody wielding her.

Mini glossary, just in case:

Onii-chan – a more casual/familiar version of Onii-san. It means older brother. Can also be applied to older boys, not necessarily related by blood.

Buki Buki no Mi – Arms Arms Fruit

And, just for kicks, here's another omake:

* * *

 **Omake:**

(The night before)

He wasn't sure how, but _somehow_ , the three slices of salmon in the pan he was holding had magically turned to blocks of coal. The contents in the boiling pot were creating some kind of smoke. And he was pretty sure he heard an explosion from inside the oven just now.

Penguin pulled on the ears of his cap, his cheeks puffing out with frustration.

Another failure.

If he had a beri every time he messed up a meal, he'd be a rich man before long.

He turned around and groaned when he realized he had an audience. Law was there just nonchalantly leaning against the door frame with folded arms, looking at him like he was trying not to smirk.

Penguin frowned. "Whatever you're going to say, don't say it."

Law simply shrugged.

Penguin deflated, his shoulders slumping. "I messed up again."

"I can tell," Law said, giving Penguin's warzone a passing glance. The place was a mess, with pieces of food and dirty utensils everywhere. A light layer of flour dusted over the countertops, and there were even things stuck on the ceiling. Sauntering over to the stove, he picked up a fork and poked at the still sizzling black matter in the pan. "What is this?"

"Doesn't matter what it used to be," Penguin replied dejectedly. "It's charcoal bricks now."

The young doctor picked up the lid of the pot and had to lean back to evade the plume of smoke that came spewing out. Shooting Penguin a dark glare, he turned off the stove and peeked inside, grimacing at the sludge within.

"That was supposed to be chicken vegetable soup, but…I guess it's weird goop now," the younger teen supplied. And as Law reached for the oven handle, Penguin slapped his foot against the oven door, keeping it closed. "I wouldn't do that. A pie's just been violently murdered in there."

Law raised a brow.

Penguin heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. I reeeeeally tried. I don't know why I just can't get it right!"

Law felt pretty proud of himself for not rolling his eyes. "Did you ever think about just making something…simple?" Penguin was always trying to manage so many things at the same time as though he thought he was some master chef of the Grand Line. Law wondered if it could be considered a talent the way Penguin could transform food into…other things…and make a kitchen look like some kind of crime scene. Sometimes he felt like they paid more for damages than they did for renting a room.

"But it's supposed to be a gourmet dinner!" Penguin exclaimed. He wanted to make something great and impressive for them to enjoy.

"Aim lower," Law deadpanned. "Start with making something edible first."

Penguin drooped, hanging his head. "Yes, Captain."

"Otherwise we'd be stuck eating takeout for the foreseeable future."

The wannabe chef sighed, pulling on the ears of his cap again. "Right. Takeout. I'll go get that now." He was already starving, and now everybody's going to have to wait even longer for food.

At that moment, Bepo's voice floated into the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

Penguin perked up with a gasp.

Law smirked. "It's already taken care of."

Penguin smiled…then faltered. "Heyyyyy…wait a minute here." If they already went and bought food, then that meant… "You guys expected me to fail!" He folded his arms, his eyes accusing. "You had no faith in me at all."

"Are you surprised?" Law asked, smirk still in place as his eyes roamed around the unfortunate kitchen for emphasis.

"I'm hurt, Law. I'm hurt. How am I gonna do well when you're being so unsupportive, huh? You should say more encouraging stuff like…" and here he held up his fist, "Don't lose hope, Penguin! You can do it if you put your mind to it! I believe in you!"

Law huffed a breath of amusement. Just the thought of saying those words was enough to make him lose his appetite. He'd rather go face that damn flamingo right now. With a shake of his head, he started to head out. "Try again tomorrow."

After watching the older teen disappear, Penguin scratched his forehead and couldn't help but smile wryly. He supposed that was Law's version of the don't-lose-hope-I-believe-in-you pep talk. All things considered, the guy was actually pretty damn supportive. He never once told Penguin he was stupid or useless or not cut out for this despite his success rate of zero percent thus far. The only time Law got really annoyed was that one time the owner kicked them out after Penguin burned down the kitchen. Still, even after that huge blunder, Law let him keep at it.

When Penguin first joined up with Law and Bepo, Law had warned him of the danger and hardships. Sure, there were rough spots. Having to run for their lives was never fun. Morning training was tough as hell. The Penguin Shake was THE worst tasting thing he had ever had the pleasure of ingesting…and that was counting the nasty gruel they used to feed him at the orphanage. Nevertheless, he still believed coming with Law was the best decision he'd ever made.

"Penguin!" Bepo's voice floated in again. "If you don't come, I'm going to eat everything!"

"Don't you dare!" Penguin hollered, quickly heading out. "Hey, save some for me, Furball!"

* * *

A/N: Law basically takes the 'let them figure it out' approach with the boys. He's not going to hold their hand. It's more or less what he had to do himself, and is still doing. It's a good thing money's not really an issue anymore. Otherwise Law probably _would_ need to stop Penguin from pursuing his wish. Haha.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: Part II

Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro.

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Part II**

Law returned to the hotel room and started putting things into his backpack at an efficient pace. "Bepo. Penguin. Pack your things. We're leaving." They'd just have to come back again at a later time to collect on that payment.

While the young doctor was busy getting things out of a closet, Penguin spoke up. "Uh…Law?"

Law turned around, finally noticing the additional person in the room. He scowled, and then continued with his task. "What're you doing here?"

Shachi got up from the couch, a desperate frown adorning his features. "You asked if I wanted you to take a look at my sister."

"That ship has sailed," Law replied with no hesitation. "We're leaving this island," he said as he gave a pointed look to Bepo and Penguin. "Now."

Getting the point, the youngest two began gathering their things but kept looking distractedly between the older two.

"Look," Shachi began. "We're rich. Just name your price. You'll get it."

"You think I need your money?" Law replied as he looked through a couple of drawers to make sure none of their things were in there.

"Then what do you want?"

"Right now? I want off this island."

"Is it Baby 5?" Bepo inquired, a bit nervous.

"It's not just her this time," Law explained. "So, we have to get going."

They finished packing and headed for the door.

"Shiira's dying!" Shachi called after them, making the group pause. "Her doctors have given up. And I can't do anything for her." He had taken up medical studies because of her, but what good was it going to do now? His only remaining hope was Law. "Please. I'll do anything. Just save my sister."

Law was conflicted. He knew painfully well how Shachi felt. He'd been there. It wasn't like he was trying to be a difficult ass on purpose. He wanted to help the girl, but… He looked at Bepo and Penguin. Any rash decisions on his part would affect all three of them. He cursed under his breath. "Sorry," and he truly meant it, "but I have my own to consider. Let's go."

Bepo grabbed Law's arm before he opened the door. "Law, it's just one more stop. It shouldn't take that long. Right, Penguin?" He looked to the younger teen, hoping he'd agree.

Penguin shrugged with a small grin. "We've gotten away before. I'm sure we can do it again."

Law banged his forehead on the door. They basically just gave him the okay to do whatever he wanted. Sometimes, he wished they could be just selfish little shits. He just _knew_ he was going to regret this. Taking a deep calming breath, he turned to Shachi. "So, where do you live, punk?"

Shachi smiled, relieved and grateful.

* * *

At the mansion, Shachi led the trio to Shiira's room where the girl was asleep in her bed, looking pale and taking shallow breaths. After doing a basic overall check, Law used Scan to get a better look at what might be going on inside her body.

The Ope Ope no Mi user scowled as he stepped away from the bed. "It's parasites in the circulatory system."

Shachi was surprised how Law was able to come to that correct conclusion so quickly. That whole procedure had taken only minutes! He had been unsure and skeptical about Law's abilities, but perhaps…he really was the answer.

"What's that?" Bepo asked.

"Organisms that live in or on its host, usually feeding off of them," Law explained. "It looks like this particular kind makes their home in the circulatory system. They're thread-like worms clinging to the internal walls of the heart and blood vessels, most likely feeding off of nutrients carried by the blood."

Penguin grimaced. "How did it even get there?"

Law gave a light shrug. "Contaminated food or water, insect bites, contact with infected animals. It's hard to say. I've never actually seen this kind before."

"Are you saying you can _see_ the parasites inside?" Shachi asked with disbelief.

Law ignored his question, instead opting to ask one of his own. "How did it progress to this stage?" The parasites had grown and reproduced to the point where they were clogging up her system, preventing proper heart contractions and reducing blood flow. That was why the girl was going to die soon.

Shachi heaved a tired sigh. "It's not like this is a common illness around here. By the time the doctors figured out what it was, there were already too many. If we kill the parasites with a drug, they'll detach themselves when they die and free flow through the blood vessels until they clog up somewhere. She'd die in the process."

"I saw stitches on her chest," Law noted. "She's had heart surgery before."

Shachi nodded. "Three times already. To remove the ones in her heart. But the ones in the blood vessels? There's no surgery for that. We could never clear her system completely, and they just keep multiplying."

" _You_ can do it, right, Law?" Bepo asked hopefully.

Law folded his arms with a pensive frown. "This isn't something I can do in one sitting. And it's going to take a good couple of days if I'm going to see this through." Which would be problematic, given his situation with Senor Pink and Baby 5.

Shachi balked. "Days?!"

Law glared. "It can't be helped."

The redhead was speechless. His family had invested a good bulk of their fortune seeing various doctors for most of his sister's life without finding a cure. He'd devoted years to studying medicine with no results. And here, this guy was saying 'days' as though it was a really long time. "So…you can save my sister?" he asked, tentatively optimistic.

Law deliberated in his head, going over what he'd need to do before finally giving his reply. "It shouldn't be a problem."

"Sha-chan…" The girl had awakened.

Shachi went to her side with a soft smile. "Hey, Shiira. How're you feeling?"

She rubbed her eyes. "Sleepy."

"Remember that creepy onii-chan from the park?" he asked, prompting Law to shoot him a dry look. "He came here to see you."

Shiira turned her eyes to Law as he returned to the bedside chair, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "Onii-chan."

"Hey, Shiira. My name's Law, and I'm a doctor," he began. "I'm going to do a small operation that will help you feel better." Even though he was matter-of-fact, his tone was far gentler than any of them had ever heard him use before.

"Operation?" she repeated, placing her hands over her heart, tears of fright beginning to gather as her lips quivered. "But I don't wanna…"

Seeing her reaction, Law placed a hand on her head, thumb brushing soothingly over her forehead as he spoke. "You should. Because when it's over, you'll be able to climb trees like Penguin did the other day."

Said boy gave his most encouraging nod. "It's a lot of fun!"

"But it's gonna hurt," the sick child insisted.

Law smirked, his thumb naturally moving to swipe away the stray tear that spilled out of her eye. "I promise you won't even feel it."

Shiira's brows furrowed with skepticism. "Onii-chan, are you lying? Because it _always_ hurts…for a really long time!"

Law hid his amusement. She was Shachi's sister all right, always questioning him on everything. "I'm not lying, and it's not going to hurt. Do you know why?"

She shook her head.

"Because I can do things other doctors can't do." He called up his Room. Then when he turned his palm over with two fingers pointing up, all the stuffed animals sitting on her bed began floating up into the air, twirling and dancing to his hand's command.

The girl gasped, her sense of wonder making her momentarily forget about her illness. "Wow…you know magic?!"

"This operation won't be like the ones you've had before. It won't hurt, and you won't need stitches," he assured. "Do you remember Bepo?" he asked, beckoning the bear over with a tilt of his head.

Bepo stepped closer with a wave. "Hi, Shiira."

She smiled widely. "Mr. Bear!"

"Bepo will play with you once you get better," Law said. "And you're going to get better very soon."

"You promise?" she asked, her fingers playing with the edge of her blanket nervously.

Law returned the stuffed animals to their place and looked at the girl. "I do."

"It'll be all right, Shiira," Shachi added. "Trust me."

When she finally nodded her consent, Bepo retrieved a mask with a tube connected to a small container of anesthetic from their bags and gave it to Law, who placed the mask over the girl's mouth and nose. "Take a couple of deep breaths, and you will fall asleep. By the time you wake up, it'll be all over."

Once the child fell unconscious, Law removed the mask. Bepo closed the windows, and Penguin pulled the blankets away from the girl, folding them up.

Shachi eyed the blue dome that was still activated. "So, what now?"

"Now, I think you should leave," Law replied blandly as he pulled on a pair of surgical gloves.

"No way!" the redhead replied instantly. "That's my sister. I'm staying."

Law stood up, giving the concerned brother a deadpan look before sighing. "Suit yourself." He held out his hand. "Bepo." The bear tossed him Kikoku, and he unsheathed it, making a couple of slashes through the air.

Shachi's eyes widened at the sight of his dismembered little sister. Then he promptly fainted, foaming at the mouth.

Law spared him a look from the corner of his eyes. "I warned you."

Because keeping up his Room for an extended period of time wears him out, the operation had to be broken up into sections with Law taking breaks in between. Shachi had woken up part way through. Though after seeing a metal dish filled with white threads, then realizing they were in fact not threads but worms, he immediately passed out again. Annoyed, Law had told Bepo and Penguin to get him out of the room. After many hours, sometime in the middle of the night, when it was all over, Law crashed in a guest room.

* * *

When Law woke up, Bepo and Penguin were there watching over him. "How long was I out?"

"About a day and a half," the white bear said. "It's almost noon now."

"What's the girl's condition?"

"She's still sleeping, but she's stable," Penguin supplied.

There was a knock on the door, and Shachi poked his head in with a smirk. "Dr. Voodoo. Finally awake, I see." He stepped in, followed by a maid with a tray of food. "I figured you could probably use some sustenance."

He was right. Law was starving. Looking at the food placed in front of him, he was about to pass his dinner roll off to Penguin when a thought occurred to him. "What did you eat for breakfast, Penguin?"

The younger teen suddenly seemed nervous. "Uh…well…"

Law glared.

"It's not like they readily have all the Penguin Shake ingredients here," Penguin said defensively.

The glare didn't let up.

Penguin slumped his shoulders with a defeated sigh. "I had waffles."

Law gave the roll to Bepo instead. Then he pushed his plate of salad to Penguin before tossing the apple at him as well.

Penguin quirked a brow. "What about you?"

"Eat it," Law ordered, leaving no room for argument.

Penguin promptly started shoveling salad into his mouth, and Law proceeded to eat his soup.

Shachi watched the exchange with curiosity but didn't comment.

Law knew the redhead was waiting for some kind of update since Law had passed out before speaking with him. So, he began to talk, explaining dully as he ate. "I think her system's been cleared, but I need to monitor her for about ten days to make sure nothing's been missed."

Shachi nodded. "Sure. You guys can just stay here." They'd already checked out of their hotel, and it just made sense for Law to be closer to Shiira.

"Then I'll prescribe some medication for her, and that should take care of it."

Shachi raised his brows. "That's it?"

Law shot him an apathetic look. "What more do you want?" Then he continued to eat.

Shachi was baffled once again. How did this guy make it all seem like it was so easy? He didn't want to admit it, but he found himself completely awestruck.

* * *

(Two days later)

Shiira was starting to look better. She was up and around, but her body was still adapting to the change. Law had been Scanning her once every day and so far saw nothing out of the ordinary. The next step was to prescribe medication to get rid of any remaining eggs or larvae that might be undetectable but still dormant or incubating inside of her. Because conventional prescriptions would be too strong for the girl, Law had been up all night looking through his books to come up with his own formula.

Now he was in town by himself to get the ingredients, as Bepo would draw too much attention. He wore a hoodie over his head to keep himself hidden as much as possible, but it looked like today just wasn't his lucky day. As he was about to enter the local pharmacy, he heard Senor Pink's voice from behind.

"I didn't think you'd still be here, Law. I thought you were smarter than that."

This was bad. He had even left his sword behind in favor of being less noticeable. When Law turned to face the pirate, he faltered a bit at what he saw. This wasn't the Senor Pink he remembered. The guy was literally twice the man he used to be and had traded out his fancy suit for a baby's bonnet and pacifier. Standing beside him was Baby 5. Law regained his composure, maintaining a neutral expression. "But here you are, waiting for me."

"Baby 5 told me about her run-in with you the other day," the man began, prompting Law to glare daggers at the girl, which then made her turn and cling to Senor's arm with tears running down her cheeks.

Law heaved an internal sigh. It couldn't be helped. He had known that that trick would only be effective if he left the island immediately like he had originally intended. After all, if he knew how to manipulate Baby 5, so did everybody else in the Donquixote Family.

"Since we have time, I thought it couldn't hurt to keep an eye on the places a traveling physician might frequent," Senor Pink continued. "Seems like it paid off."

Though Law's heart was pounding, he managed a smirk nonetheless. "Only if you catch me." Calling up his Room, he Shambled himself somewhere behind his ex-comrades and started bolting.

"He _always_ does that!" Baby 5 grumbled as they gave chase.

Law kept running, using Shambles a couple more times to gain more distance from the man swimming through the ground behind him. If Senor Pink were to catch up to him, he was done for. Pulling out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, he made a call as he continued to move.

The line connected. "Yes?"

"Bepo! It's Code Blue! Be at Point A in ten minutes!" Law instructed.

"WHAT?!" The panic came through loud and clear. "Are you serious?! Code Blue…I don't know if…Is there no other way?!"

"Believe me, if there is, I'd take it!" Law said, breathing hard as he willed his legs to speed up. "Calm down. We've prepared for this!"

"Yeah, but I didn't think we'd actually have to _do_ it!"

"Bepo, you can do this. I'm counting on you!" Law cut the line and kept running.

* * *

At the mansion, Bepo was in freak-out mode. "This is bad! This is bad! It's Code Blue!" he practically hollered at Penguin's face. Then he zoomed out, almost running over Shachi along the way.

Shachi turned to Penguin, completely befuddled. "What's going on?"

Penguin pulled on the ears of his cap and hopped on his toes. "Holy crap! It's Code Blue! I need to get to Point B!" Then he, too, ran out as though the devil was on his tail.

"Hey, wait!" Shachi yelled, but nobody listened.

* * *

Law's marathon came to an end when he reached a bridge that spanned across the wide river that cut through the middle of this town. Running out to the center of the bridge, he jumped up onto the handrail and looked down at the water that was about fifty feet below, his chest heaving.

His pursuers caught up, coming to a stop behind him.

"Law, what the heck are you doing?!" Baby 5 asked, looking a bit nervous. "Get your ass down here!"

Senor Pink chewed on his pacifier with a frown, unsure of the boy's motives.

Law turned around and looked at Baby 5, still trying to catch his breath. He let out a soft chuckle, perhaps adrenaline induced. Then he looked to the bonnet-wearing man with a smirk. "Senor Pink…I know you can swim in anything…but you won't be swimming in this." Flipping the man off, Law let himself fall backwards off the bridge.

Baby 5's eyes widened with shock as she rushed forth and leaned over the railing. "LAW!"

Law could feel himself lose all strength as soon as he splashed into the rushing river. He could do nothing as his body sank deeper and deeper into the cold and darkness. Then he felt something solid from below supporting him, lifting him back up closer to the surface and taking him further downstream.

 _Bepo…_

Then everything went black.

* * *

Bepo swam with all his might, carrying Law on his back, careful not to get too close to the surface and give away their location.

It was for this reason that Bepo had been swimming laps every morning for the past two years. Being in a bear's body, he was stronger, faster, and more adept at swimming than humans. Law knew something like this could happen, and he would have to make an escape from other Devil Fruit users. What better way to evade than going into the water where they can't follow? And since Law was a Devil Fruit user himself, it would be unexpected. At every island they go to, they'd agree on a Point A, the water entry point, and a Point B, the resurfacing point. However, the risk was extremely high, so this plan was only to be used as a last resort.

Bepo kept pushing forward. It helped that he was swimming with the river's flow, but since he had to remain underwater, he needed to get to his destination before Law drowns!

Finally reaching Point B near the mouth of the river, the bear broke the water's surface just as Penguin arrived on foot to meet up with them. Laying the unconscious teen on the bank of the river, Bepo started doing chest compressions the way Law had taught him. He wasn't sure what he was doing wrong, but it wasn't working.

"The water's not coming back up," Penguin said, stating the obvious.

"I know!"

"Are you doing it wrong?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe you need to press harder!"

"I might crack his ribs!"

"You're off the mark! Move your hands more to the right!"

"He's still not breathing! What do we do?!"

The pair went into full blown panic. Bepo got to his feet and picked Law up by is ankles, hanging him upside down and shaking him, trying to get gravity to help pull the water out from the lungs.

Penguin hopped on his toes, pulling on the ears of his cap. "Shake harder! Shake harder!"

It was at this point that Shachi, who had followed Penguin, arrived on the scene. There was a look of horror on his face when he saw Law dangling upside down and being shaken like a soaking wet rag doll. "What the _hell_ are you idiots doing?!"

Penguin perked up. "Shachi, help!" he yelped, pointing at Law. "He's not breathing! We just pulled him from the river!"

Bepo was still shaking Law, going hysterical. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Stop that!" the redhead hollered. "Put him down! You're going to snap his neck!" It would've been funny if the creepy genius wasn't about to die. Once Bepo followed his instructions, Shachi rolled up his sleeves and began doing chest compressions. He'd aced this in med school with flying colors, but trying to resuscitate a real live person wasn't exactly the same as pretending to resuscitate a dummy. "Come on, man," he mumbled with a frown of concentration as he worked. "If you don't respond, I'm gonna have to give you mouth-to-mouth. Let's not go there, yeah?"

As if on cue, Law coughed, regurgitating the water from his lungs. His eyes opened briefly before closing again, falling back into unconsciousness. This time, however, his chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. He was breathing.

Shachi sat back on his heels with a sigh of relief.

Penguin dropped on his butt. "…That was way too close."

Bepo wiped the tears from his eyes and gathered Law into his arms, trying to keep him warm with his fur. Then he realized his fur was wet, too, so he probably wasn't much help. "Sorry…sorry…"

"Don't worry," Shachi said, trying to soothe the white bear's distress. "He's breathing again. He should be fine."

"Law's a Devil Fruit user," Bepo explained with a sniffle, tightening his protective hold on the teen. "He can't be in the water."

Factoring in that new bit of information, suddenly things began to make more sense to Shachi. He didn't know much about the Devil Fruits, but he'd heard that they granted strange powers to those who eat them.

"We gotta go," Penguin said, getting back to his feet. "If we hang around here, those Donquixote Family people will find us."

The other two nodded, and they headed back to the mansion.

* * *

When Law opened his eyes, he was staring at the ceiling of the guest room again. Next thing he knew, his eardrums were under attack when both Bepo and Penguin cried out his name in unison at the top of their lungs.

Bepo threw himself over Law with fresh tears in his eyes. "I never want to do Code Blue again!"

Penguin jumped on the bed and piled himself up on Bepo's back, also crying. "Code Blue sucks _aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaass_!"

"I'm sorry!" Bepo apologized. "I couldn't get the water out of your lungs! I'm sorry!"

"You almost died!" Penguin added. "What would we do without you?!"

From the bottom of the pile, Law's voice came out muffled and strained. "If the water didn't kill me…your weight will do it. Get off!"

Bepo suddenly got up with another apology, causing Penguin to roll off his back and to the floor.

Law sat up, taking a deep breath. Then he caught sight of Shachi who had been sitting in the corner of the room this whole time, quietly watching with an amused grin on his lips.

It was obvious to the redhead that, despite his creepiness, Law was very much loved by his companions. It made sense since, from what he'd seen so far, Law looked after the two of them.

Bepo brought Law a glass of water as Penguin held up a finger, saying, "Hey, I know! I'll go make you a Law Shake to help you get back on your feet! I'll put lots and _lots_ of fish in it, and I mean _lots_! You'll _love_ it!" But as he turned to go, Law reached out and grabbed the back of his collar, stopping him.

Shachi smiled at his observation. He supposed they tried to take care of Law, too. It was the kind of brotherhood that sometimes even eluded those actually related by blood.

"What happened?" Law inquired after emptying the glass of water.

Bepo bowed his head. "I couldn't revive you."

"It was a good thing Shachi tagged along," Penguin explained. "He did it."

Law looked to Shachi, a bit surprised.

Shachi shrugged with a proud grin, putting his arms behind his head. "Heh. I'm studying to be a doctor, too, you know. Nothing to it."

Law raised a brow then smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't faint."

"Hey, I resent that!" the redhead huffed. "I don't faint! Not _all_ the time!"

Penguin laughed. "How do you plan on becoming a doctor when you're so squeamish? You're like a delicate flower."

Bepo tried to hide his chuckle behind his paws. Even Law's smirk grew wider.

Shachi loomed over Penguin, pulling the younger teen's cap over his eyes before issuing a low guttural warning. "You will die a painful death if you _ever_ associate me with a flower again!"

Penguin, however, simply readjusted his cap and continued to laugh, completely undaunted.

Getting back on track, Shachi heaved a sigh and turned his attention to Law. "There's something I need to ask you," he began, his tone now serious. "What's your involvement with the Donquixote Family? They're hotshot pirates, aren't they?"

Penguin winced. "Sorry, Law…I let it slip."

"It's fine," the young doctor said, heaving an internal sigh. Shachi was sort of involved now, so he deserved an explanation. "I used to be a part of the Donquixote Family, but I left them three years ago. They've been after me ever since."

Shachi's head was reeling. "You were a pirate?...when you were _that_ young?" What kind of life was this guy living?!

Law ignored the questions. "What concerns you is if they find out that I'm here, they won't hesitate to kill everyone in your home to get to me. This isn't a very big island, and people talk." Law was sure quite a few people had seen Shachi in his company since the redhead had kept relentlessly pestering him in public. "It's only a matter of time before they find their way here."

"Maybe they think you're dead now," Bepo suggested. Law _did_ jump off a bridge after all.

"It's possible, but…not likely," Law said. Baby 5 might fall for it…and he tried not to recall her shocked features as she watched him fall. However, Senor Pink would surely realize he wouldn't just commit suicide.

"Are you saying I should expect trouble?" Shachi asked.

"This is my problem, and I'll handle it," Law replied. "If I leave now and make a big enough scene at the harbor, they'll find out that I've left the island and have no more reason to look for me here."

Shachi raised a skeptical brow. "You know it's a terrible plan, right?" It favored Shachi but not Law. "If they think you're still alive and trying to run, they'll definitely be looking for you at the harbor. And what about Shiira?"

"Her life's no longer in immediate danger," Law assured, running a hand through his hair with a pensive frown. "It's not how I wanted to do this, but I'll write you the formula to her prescription. Take it to the pharmacy or her doctor. I'm sure they can put it together for you. I'll just have to come back for a final checkup after I get them off my tail."

"It's still a terrible plan," Shachi deadpanned.

Law threw him an agitated glare. "You have a better one?"

The redhead threw his arms up. "Just stay here and lay low for a few days. Who knows? Maybe they won't track you as fast as you think."

"You're ready to risk everyone here for an outside on a maybe?" Law asked dryly. "You, your sister, your entire staff?"

Shachi crossed his arms. "Look, Dr. Macabre. You're the reason Shiira now has a chance to live, so don't be so surprised that I wanna help you out." Not to mention, the reason why Law was in a bind right now was because he'd made the decision to help his sister instead of escape when he had the chance to. That wasn't something Shachi would forget.

Law blinked. Then after a short pause… "That still doesn't make it a better plan."

Shachi groaned as he visibly deflated. "Yeah, I know. I got nothing. If running's not an option and hiding's not an option, then what're you gonna do?"

Law looked down as he pondered. "I guess I'll have to find a way to make them back off." He remained still for a while as he went through all the possibilities in his head. When he finally looked up, he had a mysterious grin on his features.

Shachi pulled down his shades a bit to look at Law over the rim of his sunglasses. "All right, you have this borderline sadistic look in your eyes, and it's creeping me out."

Law's grin only widened as he stood and grabbed his sword. Now that the effects of being in water had passed, he felt fine. "Wait here. I'll take care of it." He was getting tired of running anyway. He had grown stronger in the past couple of years, and he was more resourceful. It was high time he started doing something about it. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Shachi looked to Bepo and Penguin for answers. "Is this normal? Does he always get that weird look in his eyes?"

Both nodded.

"Yup," Penguin said. "He's in his happy place."

Shachi frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Bepo scratched his head. "It means that whatever it is Law's thinking of doing, it's going to be…weird."

Shachi looked from one to the other. "Am I going to regret saying that I wanted to help him out?"

"No," was the firm reply that came out of both of them.

"But you might faint when you find out whatever it is Law's about to do," Penguin threw in with a mischievous grin.

Shachi rolled his eyes. "Would you give it a rest already?!"

* * *

Baby 5 walked along the harbor, her eyes searching. Senor Pink, who was at the other end of the harbor doing the same thing, had said to search for Law here and make sure he didn't get away, ensuring her that the boy wouldn't die so easily. She hoped he was right, but she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. She'd watched him fall into the river and, being a Devil Fruit user, he was a hammer in the water, just like her. Did he really survive? Shouldn't they be looking at the mouth of the river to make sure a body didn't wash up?

Distracted, she didn't notice until it was too late when someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a narrow passageway between the buildings along the harbor. She cursed under her breath when she felt the blade at her throat.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here," her captor said by her ear.

She gasped at that familiar voice as she turned her head to see. "Law!" He really was alive! She wished she could be relieved, but this really wasn't the situation she wanted to find herself in. "How did you survive?"

"I have my ways," he replied vaguely. "I didn't come here to talk."

She knitted her brows. "You came to fight, then?" Though it looked like the fight was already over before a single punch's been thrown.

"I need to borrow something from you," he said, his tone all business.

She felt his hand push against her back. Then the next thing she knew, her heart ejected from her chest enclosed within a transparent cube. Her eyes widened, then she immediately lost consciousness and her body slumped.

Law wrapped his arm around her waist, catching her before she fell. Setting his blade against the wall behind him, he gently laid her down on the ground and checked her vitals, making sure she was alive. Then he turned his eyes to her heart and called it to his hand before deactivating the Room that had been in place from the start.

He held up the beating heart, turning it in his hand and looking at it with fascination. He had toyed with this idea in his head for a while now, testing it out while dissecting various lower life forms in the recent past. However, this was the first time he actually performed it on a human. The powers of the Ope Ope no Mi still amazed him sometimes. He basically had the ability to remove people's organs without the use of a scalpel.

"Mes," he finally said, giving the technique a name.

Getting back to his feet, Law sheathed his blade and strapped it to his back. He didn't like carrying it this way, but it'll have to do for now. Then he picked up Baby 5 with one arm around her shoulders and the other arm supporting her legs. He looked at her and frowned slightly. "Sorry about this."

Calling up his Room once again, he Shambled himself up to the top of the roof, switching places with a piece of shingle. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, he made his way across the harbor.

* * *

"Senor Pink."

The portly man looked up to find Law standing on the roof of a two-story building with an incapacitated Baby 5 in his arms, looking down at him with a cocky smirk on his lips.

"Catch." That was all the warning the teen gave before tossing Baby 5's body down to him.

Senor Pink caught the girl and saw that she was still breathing. However, he frowned at the peculiar hole in her chest.

"I have her heart," Law divulged as he held up the beating organ. To prove it, he squeezed it lightly in his hand, causing the unconscious girl to wince with a quiet whimper of discomfort.

"What do you want?" the pirate questioned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Law asked, casually tossing the heart between his hands. "I want you to stop looking for me. And if you happen to see me on the street, start walking the other way. Because if I so much as sense your presence or see the shadow of a Donquixote pirate," he said, eyes narrowing at this point, "…I'll kill her."

Senor Pink chewed on his pacifier. "How long do you think you can keep this up? You can't run from Doffy forever."

"Let me worry about that," Law replied, his smirk returning. "You just need to follow my instructions. Tell Baby 5 to come back to the harbor in seven days, alone, and I will return her heart. If anyone else comes with her, I will crush it." That said, he turned and roof-hopped away.

Law knew this plan was only workable because he was dealing with Senor Pink. All other members of the Donquixote Family, possibly even Buffalo, would just screw Baby 5 over to capture him. Senor Pink was the only one who had some sense of honor, and Law would use it to his advantage.

When he returned to the mansion and explained the gist of what happened, showing the other three the beating heart, Bepo turned green, Penguin stared in awe, and Shachi threw up before passing out with foam in his mouth.

* * *

Baby 5 woke with a start and found herself in Senor's arms.

"Don't panic," the man said in his calm, stoic voice as he continued to walk, making his way back to their base.

She placed a hand on her forehead, trying to recall why she passed out. Then it hit her. "Law! He was…I…where is he?" She tried to look around to see if he was here.

"He's gone," Senor Pink informed, "and he took your heart."

"He what?" She was confused…until she saw the gaping hole in her chest. _That actually happened?!_ It wasn't just her imagination? Then she gasped. _He_ _ **literally**_ _stole my heart? He needs me!_ She placed her hands on her blushing cheeks. "Is it some kind of proposal?!"

Senor Pink chewed on his pacifier, his expression blasé, deciding to take it as a blessing in disguise that she wasn't having a breakdown about having an unnatural square-shaped hole where her heart should have been.

* * *

(Six days later)

"You're all clear," Law said. He was sitting on the steps outside the mansion's front entrance and had just done a final Scan on the little girl standing in front of him.

Shiira held her fists against her chest, tentatively excited. "Really?"

Law smirked. "Have I lied to you before?"

She shook her head then smiled brilliantly as she jumped with raised arms, turning in a circle. "Yay!" She threw her arms around Law's neck and kissed his cheek, catching him by surprise. "Thank you, Law Onii-chan!" She laughed and jumped her way over to Shachi who was sitting on the steps beside Law. She took one of her brother's hands in both of hers, swinging it from side to side. "Sha-chan! Can I marry Law Onii-chan when I grow up?!"

Law raised a brow.

Shachi's jaw dropped. "What?! Why would you even say that?!"

Shiira began to list her reasons off on her fingers. "He's smart…he's nice…he's cute…"

Shachi put his hand on his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He couldn't believe it. His precious baby sister, just seven years old, was talking to him about boys. All right, so he might grudgingly concede to her first point, but he wasn't so sure about her second point, and he was _definitely_ not sold on the third!

"…and yesterday," the girl continued, "you said he has…" She turned her eyes up as she tried to remember. "…mad skills…" She tilted her head with a twist of her lips. "Whatever that means."

This earned a short chuckle from Law.

Shachi was mortified. "It was just an offhanded comment!" he clarified to Law before turning to his sister. "Anyway, the answer is no. Definitely not!"

"Aww…why not?"

"He's too old," Shachi said, mustering as much authority into his voice as possible. "You're too young to be even _thinking_ about marriage. And he's waaaaaaaaay too creepy for you! There's just no way. End of discussion."

Shiira pouted. "Party pooper." She stuck her tongue out at her brother then turned and ran back towards the front garden where she'd been playing with Bepo and Penguin before she got called away for the checkup. But she turned around part way there and cupped her hands around her mouth. "In ten years, Law Onii-chan!" Then she laughed and ran off.

Shachi glared daggers at Law. "Hands off my sister, Necrotic Surgeon!"

Law simply rolled his eyes, not even bothering to dignify that with a response. Instead, he watched the trio in the garden interact. Bepo was showing off his martial arts skills. While training Penguin, he was also showing Shiira some basic moves.

"Thanks, Law," Shachi suddenly said out of the blue, his tone serious.

The hundred-eighty degree switch in mood made Law turn to the redhead.

"I really can't thank you enough," Shachii continued, his eyes on his sister. "I mean, look at her…she's running around and doing cartwheels. Cartwheels!" That just wasn't possible before. He took off his shades and wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling a bit.

"Just so you know," Law began, sounding bored, "I can't cure sister complexes."

"I don't have a complex! She's just too damn adorable! And it's my duty as the older brother to look out for her!" Shachi defended with a huff. "Besides, I'm sure you can relate. You must have at least one or two younger siblings, right?" He could tell from the way Law handled Shiira as well as Bepo and Penguin. The guy definitely had an older brother vibe to him.

There was a long pause as Law's eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. "…I used to."

Shachi blinked in surprise before frowning with understanding. "Well…looks like you inherited two over there." Never mind that one of them was a bear.

Law looked to Bepo and Penguin. He'd never thought about it that way before, but now that Shachi pointed it out, he supposed circumstances did force him back into an older brother sort of role ever since he picked up Bepo and later on Penguin. It was surreal for him to think about, especially when he'd been pretty sure that his humanity had fallen to pieces. Maybe he was getting it back. And maybe he had some people to thank for it.

Not wanting to dig further into the sensitive subject, Shachi changed the direction of the conversation. "We haven't discussed your payment, yet."

"It's already been paid," Law replied, glad for the topic change. When Shachi gave a frown of confusion, he elaborated. "I saved her life. You saved mine. It's fair."

Shachi shook his head with a huff of amusement. His family was well-to-do, and this guy wasn't going to take anything from him despite the fact he had offered. He really was peculiar, but Shachi admired his brand of honor. "I don't think my parents would approve." They'd finally made it home the day before, ecstatic to see Shiira in perfect health, considering Law's work nothing short of a miracle.

The young doctor shrugged, a smirk gracing his features. "That's not my problem. We'll be leaving soon anyway."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Do you need help finding transportation?" If Law wasn't going to take payment, then Shachi could at least help secure boat tickets or something.

Law's smirk widened to a slight grin. "I already got that covered."

* * *

The next morning, Shachi, Shiira, and Azarashi followed the trio to the harbor to send them off. Law took the lead, taking the group to the pier where he already had travel arrangements made.

Upon arrival, Penguin looked up at the large ship in front of them with a slightly slacked jaw. "Wow…I've never seen a ship like that before."

"It's a submarine!" Bepo exclaimed excitedly, almost losing his grip on Kikoku.

Shachi looked over the rims of his sunglasses skeptically. "It's…yellow."

Shiira threw her arms up. "It's huge!"

Law made his way over to the tall, muscular man standing by the sub. He looked to be in his fifties and was giving directions to various men doing maintenance on the vessel. When he saw Law approaching, he smiled. "Hey, Doc. So, what do you think?"

Law gave his trademark smirk. "Looks impressive, Burnham-ya. I can see why they say you're one of the best shipwrights in the North Blue."

To that, Burnham responded with a hearty laugh. "We get orders for ships all the time, but we rarely get requests for a submarine. So…building this baby was a bit of a treat for us, too. I'm glad it's to your liking! She's all yours."

Penguin gasped and pointed dramatically at the shiny yellow sub. "Wait a minute, wait a minute!...This…this is _our_ submarine?"

Law grinned. "This is what we came back to this island to pick up."

Bepo was over the moon. "This is incredible! We can start our life on the sea now!" He and Penguin started doing a celebratory dance that looked something like martial arts stances put to a rhythm.

"Come on, let's go check it out!" Penguin suggested, and the pair ran up the gangplank and disappeared.

"How's your son?" Law asked the shipwright.

Burnham grinned. "Why don't you see for yourself?" He cupped his hand by his mouth and hollered. "Drebbel! The Doc's here! He wants an update!"

A man in his late twenties with wavy blonde hair looked over the deck with a casual wave. "Hey there, Surgeon Genius." He threw his arms up. "Been feeling at a hundred percent since the operation. I can probably run laps around this island all day long."

"Don't overexert," Law reprimanded dryly. "I didn't give you back your legs so you can stupidly cripple yourself again."

Drebbel chuckled. "Take it easy. I'm not about to throw away everything you did for me." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the sub. "She's a beauty, ain't she? She's fully stocked and ready to go. Food, fuel, operation manuals, even a couple of maps and sea charts. I know you didn't ask for all the supplies," he said, holding up his hands, "but we threw in the extras just for you," he concluded with a winning smile. Then he turned to Burnham. "Final checks are done, pops."

The shipwright nodded and held a hand out to Law. "Well, Doc, I guess this is it. We wish you safe journeys. Let us know if you ever come this way again. We'll do maintenance checks for you, free of charge."

Law shook the man's hand. "I'll hold you to it, Burnham-ya. Thanks for the vessel. We'll take good care of it."

After that, the shipwrights took their leave, filing off the submarine with all their tools and equipment in tow.

Standing beside Law, Shachi looked up at the sub. "Do you even know how to work this thing?"

Law looked up as well, not worried in the least. "How hard can it be?" Then he turned to the redhead. "Guess I'm off."

Shachi shrugged. "Guess so."

"Law Onii-chan!" Shiira called out, beckoning him to come closer with a wave of her hand.

He crouched down to her level, ruffling her bangs with a slight smirk.

"You'll come back and visit, right?" the little girl asked.

Law shrugged. "Anything's possible."

She frowned at his noncommittal reply. "That's not really a yes."

He huffed a breath of amusement. "It's the answer you're getting." He didn't want to lie after all, and there just was no telling where his path was going to take him.

She blew at her bangs, dissatisfied. "Fine. I'll miss you!" She stepped closer and cupped her hands around her mouth, whispering the next bit into his ear. "Take care of Sha-chan for me. He's a big baby." Then she stepped back with an impish grin.

Law furrowed his brows, confused. He looked up to ask Shachi what that was about, only to find the sunglasses-wearing redhead had already boarded the sub and was now on the deck with Bepo and Penguin, waving goodbye to Shiira and Azarashi with teary eyes.

Law grumbled as he marched up the gangplank. "What do you think you're doing, punk?"

"What does it look like?" Shachi asked, playing innocent as he adjusted the small bag on his shoulder. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not," Law replied flatly with folded arms.

"Why not?"

"There's no reason for you to come with us." Shachi was different from Bepo and Penguin. He had family, and he had a good life. He should be here. It made no sense to Law.

"Look," Shachi said, more serious now. "I want to be a doctor, but I've realized that I'm never going to get very far just by going to medical school here. There are limitations to what they can teach me."

Law didn't like where this was going. "Then go to school somewhere else."

Shachi shook his head. "You don't get it. I don't want to just be a doctor. I want to be an extraordinary doctor. Like you. So, I decided to become your apprentice," he announced with a proud smile.

"Wouldn't that be something for _me_ to decide?!" Law retorted, getting annoyed.

"Come on, man," Shachi said with a sigh. "I'm saying I want to be like you. That's like…a _huge_ compliment." It took him a while to get over his envy and acknowledge it, but Law was a brilliant doctor. He was innovative and could think outside the box. Shachi believed this was the kind of mindset that could make medical breakthroughs.

"You'll never be like me," Law deadpanned. He wasn't being condescending, just stating a fact. He had the Ope Ope no Mi, and there was just one in the world.

Shachi puffed up. "What?! That's just mean! Anyway, you'll need a doctor in the crew."

"I _am_ a doctor, moron."

"Yeah, but who's gonna look after you when YOU go down, hmm?"

"I don't need a doctor," Law insisted. "I can take care of myself."

Shachi smirked. "Says the guy who nearly drowned the other day."

Law heaved an internal sigh, frustrated. "You have no idea what you're signing up for."

Shachi smiled with confidence. "Those hotshot Donquixote Pirates are your enemy. That girl who's armed to the teeth…who, by the way, is probably going to be really hot in a couple of years…is constantly on your tail. You intend to become pirates…starting now, apparently," he said, gesturing to the sub. "You'll be headed for the Grand Line. And if I join, you're probably going to make me take martial arts lessons from Bepo. Yeah, I know." He folded his arms with a nod. "These guys told me."

Law shot a glare to Bepo and Penguin, feeling a bit betrayed. So, they knew Shachi wanted to tag along.

Bepo scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Captain."

Penguin flinched with a wince as he tried to defend. "Aw, come on, Law. If we're gonna be a crew, you're gonna have to add people eventually."

"Shachi's a good guy," Bepo put in. "We get along."

"We're basically already buddies!" Shachi added. "So, let me be your apprentice, huh?"

Law rolled his eyes. "I don't need an apprentice who faints at the first sign of blood."

"Hey! I don't do that!" the redhead grumbled. "It takes at least a cupful to make me queasy!"

"Shachi," Law smirked. "When you can dissect a seal without passing out, then we'll talk. In the meantime…go figure out how to make this thing sail."

Shachi blinked, and then he beamed. "So, I can stay?"

Law thought both Bepo and Penguin had good points. And since he was a doctor, he had always intended to have a strong medical team in his crew. Shachi came with previous training, so that was a plus. Law was stronger and more confident in his own abilities than before, so taking Shachi on now wasn't the risk like it had been when he'd taken Bepo or Penguin under his wing. As long as Shachi knew what he was getting into, this could be a good thing. "I reserve the right to kick you off the vessel if you prove to be useless."

The redhead grinned. "Well, you're in luck. My family owns a boat, so I know a thing or two about sailing. Just you wait. I'll have her up and running in no time." That said, he ran inside in search of the control room.

"Go help him out," Law said to the remaining two. "Penguin, tell Shachi we'll just sail for now and worry about diving later."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Penguin replied, taking off after Shachi.

"Bepo, come let me know when we're ready to go."

The white bear nodded as he handed the nodachi back to its owner. "You're not coming?"

"No," Law replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "There's someone I'm waiting for."

* * *

By the time she made her way to the yellow submarine, Baby 5 was already out of breath and seriously annoyed. Law had said to come to the harbor, but he didn't say where, so she had to search the whole damn place for him.

She arrived to find Law leaning on the sub's railing with one elbow, head in hand, while casually tossing her heart in the other hand, looking down at her with a gloating expression. That really pissed her off. "Law! You bastard! Give me back my heart!" Senor Pink was right. If she wanted to continue to be of use to Doflamingo, she needed to get her heart back no matter what!

In response, Law only smirked as he began twirling the encased heart atop his finger.

Baby 5 tightened her fists with agitation. He was really enjoying this, wasn't he? "Stop playing with my heart, you stupid ass!" Her arm transformed into a rifle, and she was poised to shoot.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Law asked, sounding almost lazy. "I might really drop it, you know." He eyed the water below for effect.

Baby 5 frowned. Taking a calming breath, she released her transformation and tried a different approach. "You said you'd return it if I came alone."

"Hmm. I changed my mind," he said flippantly. Before the girl could fly off the handle again, he added, "I'll trade you."

"No deal!" she said immediately. "I'm not giving you anything!" However, before she was even finished speaking, she was already caught within his Room.

"Shambles."

One second, her heart was in his hand. The next, it was replaced by a Den Den Mushi… _her_ Den Den Mushi. She checked her pocket to find her heart where the Den Den Mushi used to be. Taking it out, she looked at it, uncertain and a bit disturbed.

"Just put it back in," Law said, sounding bored.

She did, and the opening in her chest closed. She heaved a sigh of relief, taking a moment to light up a cigarette. Then she turned her attention to Law. "That's mine!" Even without the gangplank, she was able to get onboard without any problems.

Law tossed the Den Den Mushi up into the air, letting it float as he grabbed and unsheathed his sword, ready to take her on.

The first thing she did was make a jump for the Den Den Mushi.

"Shambles."

The Den Den Mushi disappeared a split second before her hand could touch it and reappeared midair further away. "Damn it!" She threw a glare his way as her feet touched the deck.

He simply shrugged. "You should know better." He wasn't going to make it that easy.

There was no getting around it. She would just have to deal with him first. She ran towards him as she pulled the sword from behind her back. The moment she attacked with her blade, he disappeared, reappearing behind her. She immediately crouched down to evade the horizontal swing of his nodachi. Extending her leg, now transformed into a broadsword, she made a swipe at his feet, forcing him to back away. Using that brief moment to get back on her feet, she transformed her left arm into a crossbow as she canceled the one on her leg, immediately firing a series of bolts his way.

He deflected them for the most part, but one managed to hit him in the upper right arm. He hissed as he pulled the short arrow out of his flesh and tossed it aside. "That's new," he commented, the smugness level on his expression still pretty high despite the injury.

"You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve," she said as her crossbow morphed into a long chain with a fist-sized spiked metal ball at the end.

He raised his brows as he watched her take the chain into her right hand and began swinging it, the mace at the end gaining momentum as it spun in circles. That looked like it would hurt like hell if it hit him anywhere. It was the kind of weapon that would leave a messy wound. This could be problematic.

She came at him with the chain mace swinging every which way, and all he could do was dodge. It wasn't the kind of weapon he could parry, and the mace was too heavy to deflect. After a while of getting nowhere with this, she transformed her right leg into a riffle, aimed, and fired. With his attention on the riffle, she swung her chain mace at his sword. When it wound itself securely around the blade, she yanked the weapon out of his hand.

"Shit!" He cursed as he watched Kikoku fly through the air and land on the other side of the deck. Next thing he knew, she had transformed her right arm into a long whip and wound it around his torso and arms, restraining him. He frowned briefly with irritation, but the easy expression was already back in place by the time he looked her way. "Getting creative."

She smiled extra sweet, just for him. "Ready to go home?"

He raised a brow. "What do you think is going to happen after you bring me back?"

"Things will just go back to the way it used to be," she replied. "What else?"

She truly believed that. He could tell. "What if I don't want things to go back to the way it used to be? What if I like my new life?"

"But…" She was perplexed. Home was important. Why wouldn't he want to come home? It was a concept she couldn't understand.

"What does he have to offer me?" he asked. "What's he doing? Where is he headed? Can you tell me, or do you expect me to just blindly follow?"

She opened her mouth to provide some reassurances, but then she realized what he was doing and gave him an accusing look. "Stop trying to get information out of me. It's not going to work." It annoyed her how he'd pull this on her every chance he could get.

He smirked despite the fact that she'd caught on. "I thought they were fair questions, but if we're not going to talk then…we're done here."

"I don't think you're in the position to be saying that," she reminded, tugging on his restraints.

"And I think you're forgetting something," he replied.

She raised a brow, prompting him to continue.

He leaned in, ever so slightly, his eyes practically laughing at her. "You're still in my territory." He grinned. "Shambles."

And just like that, he was gone and the whip dropped to the floor. She wanted to scream. With everything going on and him asking all those questions, she had actually forgotten that his stupid Room was still in place! How could she be so careless?! And damn it all, she needed to remember to bind his hands! By the time she turned around, he was already standing there with his nodachi in hand. She groaned internally. Back to square one.

She chased him from the upper deck down to the lower deck and back up again, she being rather frustrated while he was quite enjoying himself. This probably could've gone on all day if a certain white bear hadn't intruded.

"Ah! It's Baby 5!" Bepo exclaimed, earning a glare from said girl. "Sorry…" But then he remembered his purpose. "Law! We're ready to set sail!"

"Do it now," Law ordered, and Bepo nodded before returning below decks in a hurry.

"You're not going anywhere!" Baby 5 said as she came at him relentlessly with a pair of sickle-arms. "You're coming with me!"

Law wanted to laugh. "You say that every time."

"Shut up!"

The submarine began to move.

"If you don't get off now, you won't make it back to the island," Law warned with a light tone as he continued to parry her strikes.

"I'll just turn this thing around after I kick your ass!" she said, her right hand morphing into a handgun.

The moment she pulled the trigger, he crouched and went in low, delivering a blow to her abdomen with the hilt of his sword. She sailed backwards until her back hit the hull of the submarine, knocking the breath out of her. By the time she shook off the dizziness and got her bearings again, she found herself trapped between him and the bright yellow hull, and the fight was already over. With his right hand, he had his nodachi at her throat. With his left, he was holding her gun-hand to her head.

"Doesn't look like that's going to happen," he said. The smugness radiating off his being was practically blinding.

She banged the back of her head against the hull with exasperation as she released the transformation on her hand. "I really wanna smack that stupid grin off your face." She couldn't help but voice that desire.

"You're welcome to try," he offered, still holding Kikoku at her throat as he casually pulled the cigarette from her lips and stepped on it, putting it out.

She shot him a look of annoyance before turning away. She lost again. It was vexing and embarrassing at the same time. Now she was even captured, and it was making her feel utterly useless.

Law grinned as he watched the myriad of changing emotions play across her features. "Thanks for the parting gift," he finally said. "Better luck next time."

Baby 5 looked up at him, expression confused.

"Shambles."

She found herself back on the pier, and one of the planks went to the deck of the submarine. He let her go? She frowned, for some reason feeling insulted. Transforming both of her hands into revolvers, she fired at the submarine continuously…and watched all her bullets get redirected by his stupid Ope Ope no Mi powers. She released the transformation and cursed under her breath. She balled up her fists and put on her most determined look. "I'll find you, damn it!"

Law gave a light chuckle. "I know." He wasn't worried, though. In fact, he might actually look forward to it.

He canceled his Room, and the Den Den Mushi that had been floating around this entire time dropped into his hand…one garbed in pink feathers and a pair of red sunglasses.

* * *

They sailed for a good couple of days before finally figuring out how to make the submarine dive. Traveling underwater was such a novelty that all four of them spent an entire day just watching the marine life swimming around their vessel with Law commenting from time to time on which creature he was interested in dissecting and Penguin wondering aloud about which one he should try cooking.

Now, they were back on the ocean's surface. It was a warm, sunny afternoon, and Law was sitting alone on the deck at the bow of the submarine staring at the Den Den Mushi he'd taken from Baby 5. After taking one final calming breath, he made the call. And when the line connected, he spoke first. "I take it you've been looking for me."

"Hm?...Who is this?"

Law smirked. He supposed he couldn't really blame the guy for not recognizing him. His voice did change over the past three years. "Don't tell me you've forgotten. It hasn't been that long since Minion Island."

There was a long pause at the other end. Then the leader of the Donquixote Pirates slowly began to laugh his low and menacing laugh. "Law…I've missed you."

"I'm sure."

"Tell me," Doflamingo began conversationally, "Why did you leave? I had such high hopes for you. You're like a little brother to me."

Law scowled. "And I've seen what you do to little brothers."

"Rosinante betrayed me," Doflamingo said, his voice darkening. "He was plotting to destroy me. But you…" he continued, his smile back in his voice, "…you were still young and under his influence. Come back now, and you'll be forgiven. The Heart Seat's reserved for you."

The teen gave a short huff of amusement. "Stop lying through your teeth, Doflamingo. We both know that if I were to come back, I won't live long enough to sit in it."

"… Why did you call?" the man inquired, serious once more.

"I hear you've become a Shichibukai…and a king," Law replied, his tone flippant. "Congratulations."

Doflamingo laughed. "Is that your way of letting me know you've been keeping tabs on me?"

Law smirked. "It's my way of telling you I understand you're a busy man with a lot on your plate, and right now I'm probably not high enough on your list of priorities for you to devote much of your resources to. Your people won't be able to capture me, but don't worry," he said, his fist tightening, "because I'll definitely find my way to you."

"Hm?... Big talk for a mere fledgling," Doflamingo replied, sounding more amused than offended. "Can you back it up?"

Law furrowed his brows. "Count on it. I'll see you in the New World." With those final words, he cut the line.

Law wasn't so stupid or naïve to think this was something he could accomplish overnight. It would take careful planning, and he would need to get much stronger. There would be many other obstacles before he'd even get anywhere _near_ Doflamingo. And he would have to survive it all. It might take five years. It might take ten years. But he swore he'd find a way, and he'd pull that trigger in Corazon's place.

Shortly after, his three companions joined him on deck.

"Hey, Surgeon of Death," Shachi called out to him. "What're we going to call ourselves? We need a kickass name."

"We should be the White Bear Pirates," Penguin suggested with a laugh. "Bepo can be our mascot!"

The white bear fumed. "I'm not a mascot, stupid!"

Shachi grinned. "What about the Manic Healers?"

"That sounds like a traveling sideshow," Penguin said dryly.

Bepo raised his paw. "I know! North Blue Pirates!"

"Too generic," Shachi and Penguin deadpanned together.

The navigator slumped his shoulders. "Sorry…"

"Arctic Beasts!"

"No, Seafaring Medics!"

"How about Cool Hat Pirates?"

"The Super Young Pirates!"

"We're the Heart Pirates," Law finally said, calm and sure.

Silence took over. Then, in unison, the trio said the one word that was on all of their minds. "Why?" It wasn't something any of them would associate with being cool, scary, or badass.

Law could've given many reasons. In honor of Corazon… To remind him of the second chance he'd been given to be human again… To remind him of his goal… But all that involved far too much explanation and a past he wasn't ready to retell. So, with his conversation with Doflamingo still fresh in his mind, he gave the one reason he didn't particularly mind divulging. "Because I do so love to mock." Doflamingo can take his Heart Seat and shove it up his ass.

The trio looked at each other, all of them at a complete loss. That vague answer wasn't helpful at all.

Bepo scratched his head thoughtfully. If Law hadn't saved his heart, he wouldn't be on this journey. So, whatever it might mean to Law, the heart also had special meaning to him. He smiled. "I like it."

Penguin rubbed his chin. The day Law jumpstarted his heart was the turning point in his life. So…if he thought about it that way, he supposed he could roll with it. "Works for me," he said with a shrug.

Shachi folded his arms. _I don't care what he says…he_ _ **definitely**_ _came up with that name in Shiira's honor!_ He nodded sagely, getting a bit misty eyed. "Best…name…ever!"

"So, it's decided!" Bepo said happily. "From now on, we're the Heart Pirates!"

They all cheered with fists pumped into the air.

While the trio excitedly discussed about the adventures ahead, Law went back to the bow to retrieve the Den Den Mushi, putting it in his pocket. Then he picked up and dusted off the spotted white hat he had placed beside it, the one he had stopped wearing for so long, and put it back on his head.

He was done running, and he was done hiding. It was time to move forward.

Law smirked at the horizon ahead. _Doflamingo…I'm coming for you._

…END…

* * *

A/N: And that's the story. Hope you liked!

Law's been called so many different things by so many people (and just Shachi alone). That's why he doesn't even bat an eye when Luffy calls him Tora-o. XD

The extent of Scan's ability is a bit ambiguous, so I'm just going with he can basically see through whatever he wants like a living x-ray machine. The parasite Shiira was infected with is fictional…though it's based on real parasites that exist in the world. Yeah…I got pretty paranoid about it after looking that stuff up. *shivers*

The shipwrights Burnham and Drebbel were named after submarine designers. John Burnham was the designer of the first nuclear-powered submarine. Cornelis Drebbel was the inventor who built the first navigable submarine. In case anybody cares. LOL! Law is starting to do that thing where he adds the –ya suffix to people's names. But only for people he feels deserves respect…which so far is just Burnham. Haha! At least, that's all we see. I'm sure he'd found a couple other people worthy. Maybe.

So, I didn't really see it in canon, but as I was working on this story, I realized that Law and Baby 5 actually make a lot of sense together. I'd like to write a continuation to this story that focuses on these two, if time and ideas permit. Not sure how many people will read it though. As it stands, there is basically NO fandom for this pairing. Haha!

Well, thanks for sticking with me to the end! Reviews appreciated!

And to my silent readers…you've come this far. If I could get some final overall thought from you, it would make me happy.

That's all for now! Until next time!


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